As renewable energy takes over grids worldwide, the green transition has reached a crucial tipping point. California recently revealed the state got more than two-thirds of its energy from renewable or zero-carbon sources in 2023.
Rapidly falling costs for solar and wind power mean these renewable sources now match or even outperform fossil fuels in many markets. This has led to an explosion in renewable development in recent years that shows no sign of slowing despite growing pushback in some quarters.
California has long been the standard-bearer for green power in the US. And newly released data from the state government showed that 67 percent of retail electricity sales in 2023, the latest year for which data is available, came from solar, wind, hydro, nuclear, geothermal, and biomass.
“The world’s fourth largest economy is running on two-thirds clean power—the largest economy on the planet to achieve this milestone,” Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “Not since the Industrial Revolution have we seen this kind of rapid transformation.”
The milestone represents a significant jump from the previous year, when renewables accounted for just 61 percent of sales, and a huge leap from the 41 percent they accounted for a decade ago. Newsom also highlighted that “clean energy” provided 100 percent of the state’s power for part of the day on nearly every day so far this year.
The state’s rapid transition to clean energy has helped cut CO2 emissions from the power sector by half since 2009, according to the press release, contributing significantly to a 20 percent decrease in overall emissions since 2000. California currently boasts over 21,000 megawatts of on-grid solar power as well as another 19,000 megawatts of privately owned capacity. Its battery storage capacity of 15,000 megawatts is over 20 times greater than it was in 2019.
“California has achieved yet another major milestone on our journey to a clean energy future. The latest numbers show how our state is demonstrating that clean energy is mainstream and is here to stay,” California Energy Commission chair David Hochschild said in the statement.
The upward trend is likely to continue after California added 7,000 megawatts of clean energy capacity to the grid last year, breaking previous records set in 2022 and 2023. A roadmap released by the governor in 2023 laid out plans for 148,000 megawatts of new renewable projects by 2045.
However, increasing opposition to renewable power at the federal level could potentially slow progress, notes The Hill. President Trump’s recently passed “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” slashes many of the green-energy subsidies that had helped spur deployment of renewables. The administration followed up on the law with an executive order directing cabinet officials to review subsidies that have been given to promote wind and solar projects.
“Ending the massive cost of taxpayer handouts to unreliable energy sources is vital to energy dominance, national security, economic growth and the fiscal health of the Nation,” the president wrote.
This has prompted green-energy companies to ask California to help them get as many projects started as possible before subsidies are phased out, according to Reuters. A letter from five renewable energy trade groups called on the state government to speed up approval processes, allow more facilities on agricultural lands, and sign off on new renewables projects as soon as possible.
Whether the world’s fourth largest economy has the heft to help sustain the renewable energy sector in the face of opposition from the federal government remains to be seen. But the latest figures suggest the energy transition may already have enough momentum to see it through.
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