California shows the world what real energy transition looks like

California Confirms Its Role as a Global Leader in the Energy Transition

California has once again reaffirmed its status as a global leader in the energy transition. In 2023, 67% of the electricity sold at retail in the state came from renewable and zero-emission sources. This means that more than two-thirds of the energy consumed came from solar, wind, hydro, nuclear, geothermal, and biomass power plants. Just ten years ago, that share was only 41%. As the world’s fourth-largest economy, California is proving that large-scale energy transformation is both possible and profitable.

Record Capacity Growth and New Infrastructure

The year 2024 marked another breakthrough. California’s power grid was expanded by 7,000 MW of new clean energy capacity—the largest annual increase in the state’s history. It is now the third consecutive year in which the pace of clean technology development has exceeded earlier projections. Since 2019, the state’s grid has gained a total of 25,000 MW, primarily through investments in solar and energy storage.

More Days Powered by 100% Clean Energy

California’s grid is increasingly operating in fully zero-emission mode—at least for part of the day. In 2024, the entire state was powered solely by renewable and zero-emission energy sources for an average of seven hours a day. That adds up to 51.9 full days during which demand was met entirely with clean energy—a more than sevenfold increase compared to 2022.

California’s energy transition is delivering tangible environmental and economic benefits. Since 2000, the state’s greenhouse gas emissions have dropped by 20%, while its GDP has increased by 78%. The power sector has seen especially significant changes, with emissions from electricity generation cut in half since 2009.

Green Jobs Fuel Market Growth

California is now home to over 500,000 clean energy workers—seven times more than in the fossil fuel sector. Most of these jobs are in solar and wind energy, but the energy storage and grid modernization segments are also growing rapidly. California is currently the largest green jobs market in the U.S.

Solar and Storage Lead the Charge

Solar power remains the backbone of the transition. By the end of 2024, more than 21,000 MW of solar capacity had been installed on the state’s grid, with an additional 19,000 MW coming from distributed private and commercial systems. In May 2025, a new record was set when 21,500 MW of solar energy was delivered to the grid simultaneously.

Battery storage infrastructure is expanding in parallel. California now has 15,000 MW of storage capacity—representing nearly a 20-fold increase since 2019. Energy storage is becoming a critical component for stabilizing the grid and optimizing the use of renewables.

148 GW by 2045 – Ambitious, Yet Achievable

Governor Newsom’s plan calls for the development of 148,000 MW of new clean energy capacity by 2045. If the current pace of investment continues, California is on track not only to meet but possibly exceed this target.

However, California’s energy transformation is not without challenges. As we’ve reported on our portal, it’s not just Poland that needs a modernized grid—California must invest $50 billion to upgrade its power infrastructure.