On March 21, 2025 at 2:00 pm ET, solar power became the #2 source of electricity in America for the first time ever. That’s according to data compiled by the U.S. Energy Information Administration and reported by the energy analysis website, CleanTechnica. Only power plants that burn gas, which consists mostly of the potent greenhouse gas methane, produced more electricity during a five-hour window from 2pm – 6pm ET.
“Solar’s rapid rise is something everyone can celebrate,” said Johanna Neumann, Senior Director of the Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy at Environment America Research & Policy Center. “Unlike polluting fuels like gas, coal and nuclear, which require us to extract fuels deep out of the earth leaving a legacy of health-harming pollution, the sun shows up for free every day. Today we’re able to harness the rays of the sun to power our lives more efficiently and effectively than ever before.”
On March 21st, solar remained in the #2 spot until 6:00 pm ET. The next day, March 22, solar power again rose to the #2 position at 2:00 pm ET.
Solar energy in America has grown rapidly in recent years. In 2024, America produced enough solar energy to power 28 million homes – more than seven times as much solar energy as the country generated in 2015.
Despite recent growth, America’s solar potential is still largely untapped. America’s solar energy resources — counting just utility-scale and rooftop PV — have the technical potential to produce 284 million GWh of electricity each year, equivalent to 78 times U.S. electricity use in 2020 according to Environment America Research & Policy Center’s 2021 report, We Have the Power.
“America has the potential to meet all its energy needs with clean renewable sources like solar,” said Neumann. “The sooner we power America with renewable energy, the better it will be for our environment, the health of our kids and future generations.”
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