SAN FRANCISCO - AUGUST 25: San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom talks with reporters before test driving a plug-in version of the popular Toyota Prius that is one of four on loan to the city for evaluation August 25, 2010 in San Francisco, California. With sales of electric and plug-in hybrid cars expected to increase in the coming years, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has set aside $5 million to increase the number of electric car charging stations to 5,000 around the Bay Area. There are currently 120 stations in the area. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Sacramento, California – California reached a major clean energy milestone in 2024, adding nearly 7,000 megawatts (MW) of new clean energy capacity to its electric grid—more than in any single year in the state’s history. The surge capped a five-year streak in which California brought over 25,000 MW of clean energy resources online, an amount roughly equivalent to half the state’s record peak energy demand in 2022.
This growth is not just significant—it is transformational. California’s clean energy buildout is not only strengthening grid reliability but also reshaping how the state powers its economy. Over the past five years, the Golden State has made an unprecedented push to scale up solar, wind, and battery storage infrastructure. Governor Gavin Newsom described the effort as a “build more, faster” approach, framing it as essential to both meeting climate goals and delivering jobs and infrastructure upgrades across the state.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which oversees energy procurement, attributes much of this momentum to aggressive policy directives and mandates. “We are bringing renewable energy online at a pace and scale never seen before,” said CPUC President Alice Reynolds. “California has set ambitious clean energy goals, and utilities and community choice aggregators have stepped up to deliver.”
California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard and additional CPUC procurement orders have compelled utilities and other energy providers to prioritize carbon-free sources while reinforcing grid stability. These investments are already visible in daily life: in 2023, the state ran on 100% clean electricity for at least part of the day on 51 separate occasions, or roughly three days out of every five.
The clean energy surge comes with economic and environmental dividends. Since 2000, California’s greenhouse gas emissions have dropped 20% while its GDP has grown by 78%. Battery storage, a critical part of managing intermittent renewable energy, has exploded in capacity since the beginning of the Newsom administration, rising to over 15,000 MW—a nearly 2,000% increase.
And the momentum isn’t slowing. More than 20,000 MW of clean energy projects are already under contract and in development, with an expected total of 75,000 MW of new capacity projected to come online by 2040. In parallel, efforts are underway to streamline permitting and grid interconnection, aiming to reduce development costs and shorten timelines.
While challenges remain in ensuring equitable access and integrating such rapid change, California’s accelerating clean energy transformation underscores its role as a bellwether for national climate and energy policy.
