California becomes first state to generate more than 5% of electricity from utilty solar

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

California has become the first state to generate more than 5% of its annual utility-scale electricity from solar, according to the US Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Electric Power Monthly.

The state's utility-scale solar plants of 1MW or above produced 9.9 million MWh in 2014, which is 6.1 million MWh more than 2013.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

California’s solar output was more than three times greater than the next-highest state, Arizona.

In 2014, multiple solar plants began operating in California, including two 550MW PV plants, Topaz and Desert Sunlight (phases 1 and 2), and the Ivanpah solar thermal plant (phases 1,2, and 3), which is 377 MW. The 250MW solar thermal plant, Genesis, also began operating in 2014.

According to EIA, around 1,900MW of solar capacity was added, creating a total utility-scale capacity for solar of 5,400 MW at the end of 2014.

The boom in California's utility-scale solar fleet has been largely down to its agressive 33% renewable portfolio standard. The state has used other incentives and policies including net-metering and rebates to help small-scale solar, which had reached 2,300MW total capacity at the end of 2014, though these figures are not included in the EIA's latest calculations.

Read Next

September 12, 2025
Colombian energy supplier Celsia is seeking more than US$1.2 billion in investment to build wind and solar generation projects in Peru. 
September 12, 2025
German trade association BSW-Solar has called the German government for a simplified, standardised and more digitalised grid access for solar PV and energy storage operators.
September 12, 2025
ACME Venus Urja has secured INR3.8 billion (US$43 million) to develop and construct a solar-plus-storage project in Barmer, Rajasthan.
Premium
September 12, 2025
Vote Solar's Sean Garren tells PV Tech Premium that Georgia Power's latest IRP is 'skewed so heavily towards fossil fuels'.
September 11, 2025
Founder Group has won a RM10 million (US$2.3 million) engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning contract for a 30MW solar plant in Malaysia.
September 11, 2025
German renewable energy developer ib vogt has signed a 70MW solar PV virtual power purchase agreement (vPPA) in Romania.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines