States Who Developed The Most Solar Energy Infrastructure In 2023

In the calendar year 2023, many states have established solar infrastructure in order to provide clean and affordable energy to their residents. However, five states in particular have outshined the rest when it comes to installed solar capacity. Let’s take a look at which states developed the most solar infrastructure in 2023 as well as the factors leading to their success.

 Ohio

While the state of Ohio has been a top ten state when it comes to solar capacity for over a decade, their recent growth in solar infrastructure has been impressive. In 2023, new solar capacity in the state increased by 1,230% year-over-year as they installed 1.3 GW worth of infrastructure. Ohio’s solar growth has been primarily driven by utility-scale solar investments. Many of these investments have utilized algrivoltaics, in order to aid the state’s large agriculture sector.

Colorado

Colorado is another state that has made substantial progress when it comes to solar infrastructure in recent years. In 2023, the state installed 1.6 GW of solar capacity, marking a nearly 10X increase from the previous year. Much of this progress is due to Governor Jared Polis’s signing of Senate Bill 207, which incentives solar projects including community solar.

Florida

Although Florida has been in the top five states when it comes to solar capacity since 2018, in 2023 the state continued its upward trajectory and took the number three spot for the calendar year. The state added 3.2 GW of new solar capacity in 2023, with over 50,000 residents installing home solar systems. In light of worsening tropical storms and natural disasters in the area, many in the state are turning to solar as a means for energy resilience benefits and cost-savings.

California

The state of California has always been seen as a leader when it comes to the transition to renewable energy. Calendar year 2023 was no different as the state installed a whopping 6.2 GW of new solar capacity, giving it the number two spot for installed solar capacity in 2023. However, recent regulatory decisions from the California Public Utilities Commission have discouraged rooftop solar growth in the state. The regulation has led to a projected 36% decline in the state’s solar market for calendar year 2024.

Texas

Texas, similar to California, has been seen as a leader in the solar industry for some time now. In 2023, the state took the number one spot for new solar capacity with 6.5 GW installed. Texas now has a total of 22.9 GW of solar capacity installed statewide. However, 15 GW of this capacity has been installed since just 2021. This rapid growth is expected to continue in the coming years, making Texas a model case for other states looking to scale their renewable energy transition.

Overall the transition to solar energy and development of necessary infrastructure is a long and drawn out process. However, these states have done exceptionally well when it comes to the installation of new solar capacity in 2023. As time goes on, these states work to scale their solar operations and continue to act as a model for other states looking to begin their transition to renewable energy.