Solar Futures Report Outlines Pathway to Zero Carbon Grid

A new report released by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory explores solar energy’s role in transitioning to a carbon-free electric grid by 2035.

The Solar Futures Study finds that with aggressive cost reductions, supportive policies and large-scale electrification, solar could account for as much as 40% of the nation’s electricity supply by 2035 and 45% by 2050. 

The interactive report shows that with increasing technological advances and aggressive solar implementation a carbon free grid can be attainable in the foreseeable future. The Solar Futures Study is the third in a series of vision studies from SETO and NREL, preceded by the SunShot Vision Study (2012) and On the Path to SunShot (2016). While the previous studies focused on the impacts of low-cost solar technologies on the economy, this study dives into solar energy’s role in a decarbonized grid and provides analysis of future solar technologies, the solar workforce and how solar energy might interact with other technologies like storage.