On Sept. 8, the Biden administration released a report showing the U.S. can get 40% of its electricity from solar energy by 2035, according to www.reuters.com.
The Solar Futures Study outlines how solar energy can help decarbonize the U.S. power grid and help achieve a Biden administration goal of net zero emissions in the electricity sector by 2035.
The report explains several steps the U.S. should take to achieve the 40% target, including installing 30 gigawatts per year of solar capacity between now and 2025 and 60 GW per year between 2025 and 2030. It also calls for implementing tools to expand transmission of solar energy, such as storage, microgrids and forecasting to help maintain the “reliability and performance of a renewable-dominant grid.”
The administration has been increasing efforts to expand renewable energy. In August, the Interior Department announced it would begin a process to ensure easier access to vast federal lands for solar and wind energy. Research firm Rystad Energy reports Biden’s goal to decarbonize the power sector by 2035 would require an area bigger than the Netherlands for the solar industry alone.
The U.S. solar industry said the report emphasizes the need for “significant policy” support. More than 700 companies sent a letter to Congress seeking a long-term extension of a solar investment tax credit, which reportedly would “ease project financing challenges” and include standalone energy storage.
