Experts share insights on the rise of renewable energy

Today more than ever, renewable energy is poised to meet our energy needs, building a cleaner and healthier future. In the last ten years, we’ve seen an 8-fold increase in the amount of electricity we get from solar, and double the amount from wind.1 But there is much more work to be done, with fossil fuels still producing roughly 60 percent of our electricity in 2023.2 And with expected increases in electrification, increased manufacturing, and more computing power, demand for electricity is expected to increase in the years to come.

To discuss the rise of renewables and upcoming challenges in more detail, Environment America Research & Policy Center hosted a panel of renewable energy experts at our Renewables on the Rise Roundtable webinar event. The experts discussed solar, battery storage, and electrical vehicles as particularly successful renewable technologies in recent years and also highlighted the importance of energy efficiency as a tool to meet growing electricity demand.

The panel featured Ben Prochazka, executive director of the Electrification Coalition, Brad Heavner, policy director of the California Solar & Storage Association, Doug Lewin, author of the Texas Energy & Power Newsletter and host of the Energy Capital Podcast, and Tony Dutzik, Associate Director and Senior Policy Analyst, Frontier Group. Environment America Research & Policy Center’s Johanna Neumann moderated the discussion.

You can watch the recording of the event here:

Here are the five biggest takeaways from the conversation:

1. Battery storage coupled with rooftop solar offers many benefits.

Brad Heavner highlighted that battery storage is allowing homeowners to rely less on the electric grid and Tony Dutzik added that people often overlook the resiliency benefits of rooftop solar. He said rooftop solar allows homeowners to have power even when extreme weather events have taken down parts of the electric grid. Doug Lewin shared that, after widespread grid outages in Texas due to Winter Storm Uri in 2022, homeowners have increasingly sought local energy solutions – like rooftop solar and storage – to meet their energy needs.

2. Texas and California are both leading on solar, but in different ways.

Brad and Doug both emphasized the staggering growth of solar in recent years. Brad discussed California’s long-standing lead in rooftop solar deployment, which despite recent challenges such as reduced incentives, continues to surge forward and provide more clean energy to homeowners. Doug noted that Texas has seen a sharp increase recently in residential solar, but has a more robust network of large-scale solar farms that are driving the shift toward clean energy. Brad added that a strong and efficient clean energy future will require solar at all levels, thus there is room for continued growth in both states.

3. Electric vehicles reduce pollution in many ways.

Johanna Neumann noted that more than a quarter of America’s energy use results from moving people and goods, meaning that we will need clean transportation in addition to decarbonizing the grid. Ben Prochazka pointed out the clear-cut benefits of transitioning away from gas-powered vehicles with tailpipe emissions, but also stressed that electric vehicles are important for other reasons. He added that, as the grid draws more from renewables, electric vehicles will be increasingly powered by those renewable energy sources. Other benefits such as the ability to capture renewable energy generated at night – when there is otherwise limited demand – and the possibility for electric vehicle batteries to act as energy storage for improved grid resiliency all make the transition away from the combustion engine that much more exciting.

4. EV charging is getting more accessible and reliable.

Although electric vehicle adoption is reaching record highs, some Americans still have concerns  about the availability and reliability of charging infrastructure. The speakers walked through reasons to be hopeful about the future of EV charging. Ben highlighted the improvements made in electric vehicles’ range which, when coupled with a more robust EV charging network, are making it increasingly possible to travel long distances without a combustion engine. He noted that recent federal legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are set to invest significant amounts in charging stations, though it is taking time for these programs to be fully implemented. As these investments materialize, EV charging will become more reliable and “range anxiety” might begin to become a thing of the past.

5. Growing electricity demand requires a renewed focus on efficiency.

The panelists acknowledged the challenges associated with increased electricity demand. Doug stressed that Texas’ lack of improvements on energy efficiency must change to combat higher electricity demand. He noted that programs to encourage energy efficient appliances have not been updated since 2011, and we will need to see new efforts to encourage efficiency and meet the challenges of more electrification and growing demand for energy. Brad stressed that, while continuing to improve appliance energy efficiency will remain important, it is also crucial that we manage when we use energy. During moments of significant demand, the grid tends to draw on fossil fuels to meet high demand. Brad noted that new programs that use technology to coordinate our energy use will help us spread demand out and prevent grid constraint, while ensuring we can continue to meet our energy needs without falling back on harmful fossil fuels. 

These takeaways reveal the impressive development of renewable energy technology that we have seen over the past decade – along with opportunities for future growth. Check out our Renewables on the Rise Dashboard for more information on the rise of clean energy and our transition away from fossil fuels.