Cumulative solar PV capacity in the U.S. 2024, by leading state

California has by far the greatest installed capacity of solar photovoltaic (PV) power of any U.S. state. As of June of 2024, the Golden State had a cumulative solar power capacity of over 48 gigawatts. Texas followed with a capacity of roughly 32 gigawatts. Both U.S. states also had the largest solar PV capacity additions in 2023. 

Solar power across the U.S.

Solar power accounts for around 3.9 percent of the total electricity generated in the United States. Since the turn of the century, the solar PV capacity installed in the North American country has experienced an exponential growth, surpassing 130 gigawatts as of 2023 – this is enough to power the equivalent of 36 million average homes in the country. Even though the U.S. energy mix is still dominated by fossil fuels, renewable sources are forecast to grow in the upcoming years.

Employment in the U.S. solar market

The solar sector is an incubator for job growth across the United States. Over the last decade, employment figures in the U.S. solar market have increased nearly threefold. More than 270,000 people work in the solar industry, with the state of California concentrating the largest solar workforce in the country.