America produces more than three times as much power from the sun, the wind and the earth as we did in 2013, with growth in all 50 states. Key technologies such as electric vehicles and battery storage are also booming - helping to repower America with clean energy.
A dramatic change that was just beginning a decade ago is still picking up steam. It’s a change that is making the world cleaner, safer, and healthier. And it is a change to one of the most critical systems underlying modern life – our energy system.
Over the last decade, technologies that can help America shift away from fossil fuels — like solar panels, wind turbines, LED light bulbs, energy storage and electric cars — have spread rapidly around the country. Use this interactive tool to view clean energy progress for your state.
States on the Atlantic, which use one quarter of the nation's energy, need a big and accessible clean energy resource in order to get off fossil fuels. Fortunately, the winds blowing right off their coastlines are just such a resource.
This month, the world’s first utility-scale floating wind turbines started spinning off the coast of Scotland. These new turbines have a key difference from the 4,000 or so offshore turbines that have been installed around the world so far: They are not built into the seafloor. Rather, they stand on floating platforms, attached to the seafloor using only long cables. This technology could have big implications for the U.S., because some of the nation’s best offshore wind resources are located above water too deep for turbines fixed to the ocean floor.
Generating electricity from wind doesn’t produce global warming pollution, add to air pollution or consume water—a sharp contrast with generating electricity at coal and natural gas power plants. Wind Power for a Cleaner America tallies up these savings state by state.
