Top US states for solar deployment in 2023

From pv magazine USA

In 2023, every segment of solar in the United States recorded year-on-year growth in installations. Cumulative solar capacity stood at 177 GW by the end of the year, and utility-scale solar developers added 22.5 GW – a record year.

Solar has been on an upswing across the United States, with more than half the states with 1 GW of total installed solar capacity.

The industry has been lifted in part by the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, a spending package for climate and energy. The legislation contains numerous provisions to support the US solar industry, among other clean energy technologies, including a long-term extension of the federal investment tax credit, significant domestic manufacturing incentives, labor standards, energy production tax credits and more.

Since the passage of the IRA, more than $240 billion has been invested in clean energy manufacturing and infrastructure projects, according to a White House report. This includes over $86 billion invested in nearly 300 new solar, wind, and battery energy storage projects.

Tracking this growth, SEIA has released rankings for the top five US states in terms of solar deployment across sectors.

Ohio ranked fifth in solar deployment, increasing its installation totals year over year by 1,230%, with 1.3 GW installed. The state has 3 GW across 20 projects in the pipeline for development.

Colorado ranked within the top five for the first time since 2010, with 1.6 GW installed. This is nearly 10 times the total installed in 2022.

Florida maintained its spot as number three in solar deployment for the fifth year straight, adding a record 3.2 GW in 2023. More than 50,000 residents installed rooftop solar on their homes last year, and nearly half of Florida’s 220,000 residential solar arrays were installed in the last two years.

California ranked second, adding 6.2 GW of new solar. However, the California Public Utilities Commission have significantly damaged California’s rooftop solar sector. In total, the state’s solar market is expected to decline 36% across all market segments in 2024, said SEIA.

Texas has moved to the front for solar installations, adding 6.5 GW in 2023. The 15 GW added since 2021 was more than the entire solar cumulative total installed in the United States in 2019.

“From 2024-34, Texas will lead the nation with nearly 100 GW of new solar capacity additions, outpacing the next closest state by a two-to-one margin,” said SEIA.