Find out how much energy in the US comes from renewable sources and other FAQs

Renewable energy basics

Discover the many benefits to using renewable energy resources, but what is it exactly? From solar to wind, it’s the fastest-growing source of energy in the world – and how we can use it to combat climate change.

Visualize energy sources and uses across the US

Want to understand the basics of America’s current energy situation? The National Academies, advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine, provides objective information about the United States’ current energy sources and uses, as well as a look forward to the future of energy.

View US maps of average daily solar resources and solar-based electricity generation

The state you live in can drastically change how much solar energy you can expect to capture to power your home. These National Laboratory of the Rockies maps show where you can reliably generate solar resources.

Wind energy 101

Learn more about the wind industry, from how a wind turbine works, to the new and exciting research in the field of wind energy.

View US solar energy industry trends and trajectories, tracked by SEIA

The Solar Energy Industries Association provides charts summarizing the state of solar energy in the US, including cumulative solar installations, solar jobs, photovoltaic pricing and deployment, and inflation and supply chain constraints within the market.

Some renewable energy sources may weaken the resiliency of electric grids by removing outage buffers provided by coal- and natural gas-fired plants, which provide the system with more time to find a new power source if a plant goes down.

In 2019, the US became a net energy exporter thanks to the fracking boom

The US began exporting more energy than it consumed that year, making it a net energy exporter. Energy imports have decreased every year since 2007, as improved technology has increased the number of accessible domestic oil and natural gas reserves.

Understanding the power grid and how renewable sources fit in

The power grid is evolving to include ever-higher levels of solar and wind, which don’t provide inertia. Should system planners and operators panic?

Check out this interactive 3D animation of a virtual renewable energy-powered island

The US Department of Energy’s Renewable Energy Discovery (REDi) Island invite explorers to discover clean, renewable energy options by navigating a virtual island filled with energy efficient power generation and desalinization technologies.

A breakdown of global electricity generation in 2025, led by coal power plants

Fossil fuel plants generated 57% of global electricity, with the remaining power produced by clean energy sources, led by hydroelectric power at 14.0%. Roughly equal amounts of generation were provided by nuclear (8.9%), solar (8.7%), and wind (8.5%) power.

View a distribution of wind turbine locations across the US

As of May 2025, the US Wind Turbine Database maps and provides technical specifications for 76,051 onshore and offshore turbines from 1,794 projects, ranging from small installations to large-scale wind farms.

Enough sunlight hits Earth in just 90 minutes to power the planet for an entire year

Despite this, in 2023, only 5.1% of electricity in the US came from solar energy. Solar panel technology has nonetheless made significant advancements since the 19th century, largely due to NASA's efforts in the space race.

See where the 94 nuclear reactors in the continental US are located

In 2023, these reactors—located in 53 plants across 28 states—prevented 437 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. A single fingertip-sized uranium pellet generates as much electricity as a ton of coal, enough for one household's annual electricity.

View an interactive chart of energy conversion efficiencies for various photovoltaics

This National Renewable Energy Laboratory visualization provides maximum confirmed efficiencies for nearly 30 research PV cell technologies from August 1975 to today. Concentrator multi-junction cells have led the field since 1993. (Desktop recommended site.)

Among renewable sources, geothermal rivals hydropower in lifetime cost

As of 2024, the levelized cost of energy—the average cost per unit of energy over the lifetime of a power plant—for geothermal power is surpassed only by solar photovoltaic and onshore wind. Geothermal's LCOE has remained relatively unchanged since 2007, with significant decreases held back by significant upfront installation costs.

Selection of wind farm sites considers wildlife impacts and wind resource potential

Environmental impact studies, wind energy maps, anemometer data, and local, state, and federal regulations factor into wind farm projects, including offshore farms. Wind projects on public lands require additional permitting.

Despite electric usage concerns, EV charging accounts for less than 1% of grid load

Other popular myths about EVs include battery failure concerns—failure rates are less than 1% on newer models—and that there are no places to charge cars, though both at-home outlets and more than 77,000 stations on the road are available.

Texas is the state with the most energy sector employees

Texas has more than 990,000 individuals in the energy sector—roughly eight out of every 100 workers statewide. Oil and natural gas production account for more than 289,000 workers.

What fuels the sun?

The sun is our biggest source of heat and light, but how does this massive powerhouse continue to produce such amazing energy? Basically, it's a fusion reactor. At its core the sun produces all that solar energy through hydrogen fusing and converting into helium, over and over again. Learn more about the entire amazing and explosive process here.

Explore the water footprint of producing various proteins, fruits, and vegetables

This interactive gallery highlights the various types of water behind the production of biofuels, foods, and materials such as cotton. Diets high in bovine meat, whose production requires 15,415 liters of water per kilogram (1,847 gallons per pound), are among the most water-intensive, whereas every kilogram of vegetables uses 322 liters of water (39 gal/lb) to produce.

A list of common questions and answers about hurricanes from NOAA

This FAQ answers many questions hurricane researchers at NOAA have received, sorted by category. The answers provide insights into hurricane classification and naming, forecasting their movement and growth, and tips for preparing ahead of landfall.

Explore a series of articles on the costs of critical mineral extraction

The acquisition of critical minerals—essential materials for clean energy technologies—has often been accompanied by harm to water supplies, natural ecosystems, and Indigenous lands, raising questions about the overall benefit of these technologies.

Determine your carbon footprint with this web tool

This tool from the Environmental Protection Agency calculates a user's carbon footprint based on their zip code, household size, and emission factors involving home energy, transportation, and water production.

Sand 'batteries' can store excess electricity from the power grid as thermal energy

Energy collected from solar or wind power is used to heat insulated silos full of sand to temperatures as high as 450 degrees Celsius (842 degrees Fahrenheit), which can be retained for long periods. These thermal energy storage systems can be designed to boil water and generate electricity when needed.

The US produces far more waste and recycles far less of it than other developed countries

The US represents just 4% of the world’s population, but it produces 12% of global municipal solid waste. In comparison, China and India make up more than 36% of the world’s population and generate 27% of that waste.

The Federal Reserve is the central bank of the US

No institution wields more power in US finance than the Federal Reserve—but opinion polls indicate that most Americans don't know what it does. Curious about the country's central bank? 1440's got your breakdown of how the Federal Reserve works.

How fusion—which releases energy when two lighter atoms combine to form a heavier atom—differs from fission

The price of gas is a composite made up of several different factors, with the federal gas tax making up less than 20% of what drivers pay at the pump.

44% of Americans say they pray at least once a day—discover how your state's religiosity stacks up against the rest of the country.

Learn how to read a prospectus, the juicy document that any company must file with the SEC before going public.

Roughly 43 million US borrowers owe roughly $1.7T in student debt, the second-largest source of consumer debt behind mortgages.

The United States is one of only around two dozen countries with a fully federal system of government, in which power is divided between national and state governments.

View the ten deadliest tornadoes in US history.

See the 25 of the best photos of auroras from around the world.

The American Society of Civil Engineers' infrastructure report card gave the US a C in 2025, its highest grade since the project launched in 1998.

This site reaches millions of visitors who are tired of AI chatbots and seeking human connection. Pretend to be an AI chatbot and ask questions, provide answers, and draw for people in real time.

Use this tool to calculate the dollar value of your parental mental load, from meal planning to coordinating after-school care, then see resources that help generate solutions.

An investigation suggests a Scottish island became awash in forever chemicals via seafoam and seaspray—raising questions about what that means for the safety of other coastal areas.

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

Scientists have struggled to pin down Ebola's natural reservoir species for decades, but the available evidence suggests that it's very likely fruit and insect-eating bats found in Africa.

Pure water does not conduct electricity because this flow of energy requires the movement of charged particles, and water is a neutral molecule.

Explore an interactive map of battles from the American Revolution, along with detailed summaries of each engagement

Fireworks-related ER visits are on the rise—in 2024, they increased by 52% as compared to the prior year.

Memecoins are a type of cryptocurrency—a form of digital currency with a wide variety of uses—created around popular 'memes,' or viral internet jokes.

Before the current East Wing ballroom project, only two White House renovations in the past 100 years cost more than $10M.

Researchers believe the brain consolidates memories, processes emotions, and plans for the future during dream states

Explore fun facts from the USPS, including unique post office buildings, a stamp that traveled past Pluto, and more.

How Amazon operates a 'flywheel' business model, a self-reinforcing cycle that drives continuous growth

Between 10 million and 50 million people in the US develop rashes from poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak each year.

The word 'jazz' evolved from 'jasm,' 19th-century American slang for 'energy'