Renewables on the Rise 2021: Environment America Research & Policy Center Report

Environment America Research & Policy Center issued a November 2021 report titled:

Renewables on the Rise 2021 – The Rapid Growth of Renewables, Electric Vehicles and Other Building Blocks of a Clean Energy Future (“Report”)

The Report was authored by:

• Sarah Nick, Frontier Group
• Tony Dutzik, Frontier Group
• Emma Searson, environment America Research & Policy Center

The Report addresses two key themes:

• Dramatic growth of renewable energy and clean energy technologies in the United States (including a number of statistics)
• Opinions as to the work needed to expand renewable energy and clean energy technologies

Key statistics outlined in the Report include:

• The United States produced almost four times as much renewable electricity from solar and wind power in 2020 as in 2011
• Wind and solar power produced 11 percent of the United States electricity in 2020 as opposed to three percent in 2011
• Between 2011 and 2020 United States wind, solar and geothermal generation grew at an annual rate of 15 percent
• Solar energy produces over 23 times as much solar power as it did in 2011
• Wind energy in the United States has nearly tripled the amount of wind power it produces since 2011
• Energy efficiency programs have saved over 17 percent more energy in 2019 than 2011
• Electric vehicles
  • In 2011 16,000 battery and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles were sold in the United States
  • In 2020 cumulative sales of such vehicles had grown 100-fold to nearly 1.7 million vehicles
• Battery storage grew more than 18-fold from 2011 to 2020
• Heat pumps
  • Twelve percent of all United States homes with heat used heat pumps in 2015
  • Shipments of air-source heat pumps from United States manufacturers nearly doubled between 2011 and 2020

The Report argues that accelerating the transition to clean energy requires that cities, states and federal governments undertake the following:

• Set ambitious targets for renewable energy (citing the example of nine states and 200 cities and towns that have committed to obtaining 100% of their electricity from such sources)
• Establish strong incentives for renewable energy adoption including extension of federal tax credits
• Ensure that utility policies fully and fairly compensate investors in clean energy technology
• Encourage the transition to electric vehicles and electric buildings through:
  • Strong, clean car standards
  • Local commitments to transition to electric transit
  • Policies to support fuel-switching in residential and commercial buildings
• Support the integration of technologies and practices that enable the United States to take full advantage of its renewable energy potential such as:
  • Integration of energy storage into the grid
  • The development of resilient local microgrids powered by renewable energy
  • Appropriate expansion of transmission infrastructure to allow for the transport of renewable energy
• Encourage continued progress on energy efficiency by:
  • Continuing and expanding local, state, utility and federal programs and policies
  • Utility energy efficiency programs
  • Building energy codes
  • Appliance efficiency standards

A copy of the Report can be downloaded here.