A transformative summer for U.S. electricity
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Key Findings
Even with heat waves pummeling California and Texas this summer, renewables are reliably and economically transitioning the grid from fossil fuels.
Solar generated 16 million MWh of electricity from June 1 to August 31 in Texas, accounting for 11.6% of ERCOT’s total summer demand—a 40% increase from just a year ago.
The transformation in California has been equally pronounced, and again points to the reliability enhancing combination of solar and storage.
Four years ago, there was essentially zero battery storage capacity installed across the U.S., but now there are more than 20,000 MW and that figure increases monthly.
Introduction
The evidence from this summer’s sizzling heat is in, and the verdict is clear: Renewables are reliably and economically transitioning the grid from fossil fuels. Heat waves pummeled California (in July and again in early September) and Texas (in August), but grid operators in both states had little trouble meeting demand, in large part due to the rapid growth of renewable energy generation (particularly utility-scale solar) and the installation of thousands of megawatts (MW) of battery storage capacity. For two of the largest power markets in the country, and for the U.S. as a whole, these are the hallmarks of a transformative shift.
