HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania ranked 47th nationally for growth in renewable energy generation over the past decade, according to a new report from PennEnvironment, highlighting the state’s continued reliance on traditional energy sources despite broader national expansion in solar and wind power.
The advocacy group’s “State of Renewable Energy” dashboard found Pennsylvania’s combined solar, wind and geothermal generation increased 81% from 2015 through 2025, compared with a national average increase of nearly 200%.
Pennsylvania improved slightly from its 49th-place ranking in 2025, according to the report released Wednesday.
The analysis examined growth trends across six categories, including renewable power generation, battery storage, electric vehicles, EV charging infrastructure and energy efficiency.
Pennsylvania currently generates about 5% of its electricity from renewable sources, up from 3% in 2016, according to the report. By comparison, Texas now receives 37% of its electricity from wind and solar generation.
“Clearly, Pennsylvania isn’t doing enough to tap into the benefits of clean energy at the rate of most other states,” Belle Sherwood, a climate and clean energy advocate with PennEnvironment, said in a statement.
The report arrives as Pennsylvania policymakers debate how to expand electricity generation amid rising power demand, grid reliability concerns and higher utility costs.
State Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, a member of the House Energy Committee, argued renewable generation could help stabilize long-term energy costs.
“Renewable energy is the clear answer, with solar and wind being the cheapest and fastest to build,” Fiedler stated.
The report also showed stronger growth in electric vehicle infrastructure. Pennsylvania ranked 11th nationally for percentage growth in EV charging ports between 2016 and 2025, aided by federal funding and state investment programs that added more than 1,000 charging ports since 2023.
Will Hoover of McClure Company pointed to declining solar costs and growing electricity demand as key drivers reshaping the state’s energy outlook.
“Solar energy is more accessible, more affordable, and more impactful than ever before,” Hoover said.
PennEnvironment is urging lawmakers to require utilities to source at least 35% of electricity from renewable energy, adopt updated appliance efficiency standards and revise Pennsylvania’s energy conservation laws.
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