New DOE Report Expects Solar to Increase Rapidly by 2035

Last week, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released a new “Solar Futures Study” report that predicts solar energy production expanding rapidly in the next 15 years, expecting that the U.S. will generate more electricity in 2035 than all homes consume today. DOE believes that solar will play an important role in the coming years in decarbonization. The report finds that by 2035 solar could make up 40% of the nation’s electricity.
 
In the press release, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, who spoke to the ASME community during the inaugural ASME Policy Impact event in May, commented that “The study illuminates the fact that solar, our cheapest and fastest-growing source of clean energy, could produce enough electricity to power all of the homes in the U.S. by 2035 and employ as many as 1.5 million people in the process. Achieving this bright future requires a massive and equitable deployment of renewable energy and strong decarbonization polices – exactly what is laid out in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda.”  
 
Reaching net-zero emissions by mid-century is priority for the Biden administration. The report outlines key steps that should be taken for solar adoption to help more the U.S. forward on the path towards decarbonization, including:

• A clean grid requires massive, equitable deployment of diverse, sustainable energy sources
• A decarbonized power sector will create millions of cross-sector jobs
• New tools that increase grid flexibility, like storage and advanced inverters, as well as transmission expansion, will help to move solar energy to all pockets of America
• A renewable-based grid will create significant health and cost savings
• Supportive decarbonization policies and advanced technologies are needed to further reduce the cost of solar energy 

To read the full Solar Futures Study, visit: https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/solar-futures-study/.