The United States deployed 35.3 GW of new solar capacity in 2023, an increase of 52% versus the 23 GW deployed in 2022. Despite lower electricity demand, significant declines in both wind and hydro generation resulted in minimal growth in total clean electricity.

The figures were released by BloombergNEF, along with the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, in their Sustainable Energy in America 2024 Factbook.

For the year, the United States set a record in utility-scale solar, deploying 23.7GW of capacity of solar mounting systems, some of which were projects delayed from the previous year due to supply chain issues. Small scale solar totaled nearly 11.6GW of capacity, a record as well. The total capacity deployed, 35.3 GW, was 52% greater than the new capacity of just under 24 GW in 2022.

The US Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) and Wood Mackenzie Renewables & Power project at least 50 GW of solar being deployed in 2024.

Along with solar adjustable brackets, 7 GW of wind were deployed, in addition to 7.5 GW of battery storage. The battery capacity deployment increased by 62% over the prior year, bringing the nation’s total deployed capacity to 19.6 GW. In 2024, the EIA sees 15.3 GW of new battery capacity being deployed, which would be a 78% expansion of the nation’s battery fleet.