2025 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook

Hosted in coordination with the House and Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucuses and the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) held a briefing about the 13th edition of the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook. The Factbook provides valuable year-over-year data and insights on the U.S. energy transformation, featuring an in-depth look at the energy efficiency, renewable energy, and natural gas sectors, as well as transmission, digitalization, microgrids, offshore wind, hydrogen, and renewable natural gas.

This year, the Factbook dives into the growing energy demand driven by data centers and artificial intelligence. It examines trends in clean energy supply chains, growth in domestic manufacturing, and the ways in which permitting and siting impact the deployment of renewable energy. Panelists spoke to key takeaways from the 2025 Factbook and what they mean for industries working in all facets of the energy transition.

The Factbook, published by BloombergNEF and BCSE, launched on February 20, and is available to download for free at www.bcse.org/factbook.

 

Highlights

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Sustainable Energy in America Factbook provides year-over-year data and insights on the U.S. energy transformation. In 2024, U.S. energy productivity grew 2.3%—the U.S. economy expanded by 2.8% whereas energy demand only rose by 0.5%, which is an indication that the economy is becoming more energy efficient. The power sector (i.e., electricity generation) consumes the most energy in the United States, but its consumption has declined since 2005. Transportation uses the second-highest amount of energy with no declining trend. Looking across the energy space, the motor vehicle and energy efficiency sectors employ the most people. When looking at jobs by power-generating technology, the solar industry provides the most jobs.

 

Lisa Jacobson, President, Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE)

• Each year, BCSE and BloombergNEF produce the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook that provides year-over-year data and insights on the U.S. energy transformation.
• In 2024, U.S. energy productivity grew 2.3%—the U.S. economy expanded by 2.8% whereas energy demand only rose by 0.5%, which is an indication that the economy is becoming more energy efficient.
• Corporate buyers contracted a record-level 28 gigawatts of renewable energy in 2024, a 34% increase from 20.9 gigawatts in 2022.
• Clean energy tax credits, streamlined permitting, and increased public-private investment in research and development are needed to sustain momentum and bring emerging technologies from lab to market, strengthening U.S. global competitiveness.

 

Derrick Flakoll, Senior Policy Associate, North America, BloombergNEF

• The United States economy continues to grow even as primary consumption remains flat, illustrating improved energy productivity.
• Natural gas and petroleum are the two main sources of energy in the United States. Nuclear power is a fairly steady contributor. Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind energy, continue to expand. Coal has been in consistent decline since 2010.
• The power sector (i.e., electricity generation) consumes the most energy in the United States, but its consumption has declined since 2005. This is partly due to the shift from fossil fuels, which lose energy as waste heat, to more efficient renewable energy sources. Transportation uses the second-highest amount of energy with no declining trend.
• Within the power sector, electricity demand has increased consistently since 2000 at a manageable rate. There was not a significant surge in demand from data centers in 2024.
• The United States' cumulative investment in the energy transition, including in transportation, zero-carbon energy, and electrified heating, ranks second globally behind China. In 2024, investment in power grids in the United States was responsible for most of the overall increased investment in the energy transition when compared to 2023.
• Retail power prices vary across the country. Since 2010, retail prices in California and New England have generally gone up, while prices have gone down across the rest of the country. Notably, retail prices in Texas were some of the lowest in the country between 2010 and 2024. Texas and California are the two largest markets for renewable energy, so this shows that market and regulatory structures impact price more than the energy mix.
• Since 1994, the amount of money U.S. consumers spend on energy compared to other expenditures has decreased.
• Looking across the energy space, the motor vehicle and energy efficiency sectors employ the most people. When looking at jobs by power-generating technology, the solar industry provides the most jobs.
• Major tech companies such as Amazon, Meta, Google, and Microsoft, continue to dominate corporate clean energy buying in 2024. However, there is growing diversification, with non-tech companies like Walmart and UnitedHealth entering the space.
• The electric vehicle market is steadily growing, with Tesla still leading in electric vehicle sales. Other companies, including Ford, BMW, Toyota, and newer manufacturers, now have a greater share of sales than in any previous year.
• Sustainable aviation fuel supply increased significantly in 2024 compared to past years. There is also continued growth in new sustainable aviation fuel procurement agreements for airlines.
• U.S. greenhouse gas emission reductions have stalled in recent years. Transportation emissions are below their peak level but have flattened out, while industrial emissions have increased. However, the power sector has seen a steep emissions drop.

 

Diana Godlevskaya, Deputy Director, Federal Affairs, American Clean Power Association

• Since the Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169) passed in August 2022, over 250 new clean technology manufacturing facilities have been announced, signaling a “manufacturing renaissance” after decades of decline in U.S. manufacturing. Clean energy tax credits are driving investments. These new facilities often bring jobs and investment to rural communities.
• A new American Clean Power Association and S&P Global Commodity Insights study shows U.S. energy demand is projected to rise 50% over the next 15 years, requiring large-scale buildouts of gas, renewable energy, and nuclear infrastructure.
• Companies are increasingly onshoring supply chains, especially in electric vehicles and solar manufacturing.

 

Charles Hernick, Head of U.S. Environmental Policy, Amazon

• Amazon is committed to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. Its strategy follows a three-step approach: emissions disclosure, decarbonization, and carbon offsets.
• Amazon has been the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable power for the last five years. In 2024, Amazon matched all the electricity the company consumed with renewable energy.
• Amazon invested $500 million in October 2024 in X-energy, an advanced nuclear energy company, to help diversify non-carbon power sources and bring nuclear power onto the grid.
• In Amazon’s experience, the current voluntary carbon market has mostly low-quality credits. In fact, only 5% of credits meet Amazon’s standards. In response, Amazon is investing in forest protection, agroforestry, direct air capture, and market integrity efforts to improve the voluntary carbon market overall.
• Amazon announced in March 2025 that it will begin selling carbon credits, leveraging its investments in high-quality offsets to help other companies meet their climate goals.

 

James Manser, Vice President, Global Government Relations, Johnson Controls

• Operating in 150 countries, Johnson Controls offers the world’s largest portfolio of building technologies, including HVAC services, industrial refrigeration systems, building efficiency, management controls, security systems, fire detection, and fire suppression.
• In 2024, residential energy consumption decreased by 2.6%, and commercial power consumption increased by 0.7%. Since 2014, residential consumption has decreased 11.6%, and commercial has increased 6.8%. Johnson Controls has compiled a sustainability report delving into commercial power consumption trends.

 

Jack Thirolf, Head of Energy Policy, NET Power

• NET Power has developed a new kind of natural gas turbine to produce electricity, where at least 97% of the emissions are captured.
• NET Power has a test facility in La Porte, Texas, and is working to build its first utility-scale product, a 250-megawatt facility in West Texas, which could be online as soon as 2029. This is an area of Texas where electricity load growth is rising due to the electrification of the oil and gas sectors.
• Demand for natural gas is continuing to increase. Natural gas is abundant in the United States and is relatively low cost.
• The potential for carbon capture is significant, but not yet realized. There are technical challenges associated with proving out the carbon capture infrastructure as well as economic challenges like price signals and market demand. NET Power does expect there to be growth in this space in the coming years.

 

Michael Yancey, Director of Congressional Policy, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions

• U.S. electricity generation is at an all-time high, and demand is expected to keep rising both domestically and globally.
• The energy mix is steadily shifting toward cleaner sources, with more natural gas, renewable energy sources, and pilot projects in technologies like geothermal and carbon capture. The share of coal is going down.
• Economic growth drives increased energy use, and transitioning the energy system will take time, effort, and careful planning to avoid high prices and blackouts.

 

Q&A

 

Q: How have new electricity sources affected energy spending for Americans? How do you anticipate energy spending changing with the uncertainty around tax credits and other federal investments?

Godlevskaya

• According to a Brattle Group report, eliminating the clean energy tax credits could increase residential bills by up to $83 annually, and businesses may see an even higher increase.
• Clean energy tax incentives are driving economic growth, including new manufacturing facilities and new jobs. Uncertainty about the future of the tax credits is causing companies to reconsider their investments, which could stunt this broader economic momentum.

 

Q: What does the current trend in load growth on the grid mean for updating and expanding our energy system?

Hernick

• Amazon worked with federal government agencies to move government data from servers on the ground in D.C. to the cloud where people can use the data and conduct analysis faster than having to access datasets one at a time. This is an opportunity for efficiency.
• The electrification of delivery fleets (e.g., Rivian trucks) needs reliable charging infrastructure. Innovation depends on adequate energy supply and clean energy sources.

 

Q: What does the term “clean firm” mean, and how does carbon capture fit into that concept?

Thirolf

• Clean firm” power is energy that is available anytime and is low emissions.
• Clean firm power is driven by customer demand and corporate sustainability goals.
• Natural gas with carbon capture must earn community trust and environmental validation. Deployment challenges include local acceptance and the regulatory environment.

 

Q: How does energy consumption fit into the conversation, and how might the private sector respond to a less intensive regulatory environment?

Manser

• Industries are unlikely to reverse research and development into efficient, sustainable technology.
• European Union standards and state-level regulations help maintain momentum even with federal shifts.
• The growth of artificial intelligence increases energy use, so it is going to be important to balance demand-side actions with energy supply where predictability and global competitiveness are crucial.

 

Q: What can the federal government do to reduce regulatory burdens and speed up energy project deployment?

Yancey

• The key challenge is speeding up deployment across all energy technologies. Comprehensive permitting reform is essential. Current permitting processes are slowing everything down—especially for transmission and manufacturing.
• Regulatory updates should make it easier to upgrade existing facilities for emissions reductions.

 

Q: What are one or two things Congress could do to support your ambitions?

Thirolf

• Congress can maintain and enhance the 45Q tax credit for carbon capture, and support permitting reform—both legislatively and culturally—to foster a “build again” mindset.

Yancey

• Congress can preserve a broad suite of tax credits such as 45Q (carbon capture), 48E (nuclear), 45U and 45X (clean manufacturing), and 45V (hydrogen); accelerate permitting reform; and continue robust funding for innovation and research and development.

Manser

• Congress can support tax credits like 179D (for commercial buildings) and the Investment Tax Credit. This is because tax credits drive long-term investments and economic growth.
• Predictability in federal policy is important to help businesses plan and hire confidently.

Hernick

• It is not engineering issues that are causing bottlenecks in deploying renewable energy, it is bureaucracy and permitting that delay deployment.

Godlevskaya

• Congress can protect the tax credits, especially technology-neutral ones. Clean energy projects are long term and need policy certainty.
• Transmission permitting reform is also needed as timelines of 10 to 15 years for projects are unsustainable. Bipartisan efforts are important to keep momentum going.

 

Q: Can permitting reform councils or advisory initiatives be used as a platform for reform?

Godlevskaya

• American Clean Power is engaging with the Trump Administration and sees its agenda to “unleash American energy” as a fit for clean energy. 

Yancey

• There is an open window of opportunity with the National Energy Dominance Council under Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum.
• Executive actions can help, but only Congress can make lasting reforms. Recent court decisions (e.g., on the Chevron doctrine) introduce legal uncertainty around agency authority. Long-term reform likely requires legislative action or court rulings.

 

Compiled by Whitney Orloff and edited for clarity and length. This is not a transcript.