Why Local Solar is the Solution to America’s Surging Energy Demands

America faces an unprecedented boom in electricity demand, driven by new technologies and the essential move towards an electrified economy. This surge, projected to grow our peak energy demand 24% by 2030 and 36% by 2035, strains our existing electric system, threatening reliability and affordability. How we meet this new demand will define our climate future. Without a rapid scale-up of clean energy, we risk a massive buildout of new fossil fuel power plants, locking in decades of carbon emissions and undermining our climate goals. While large-scale renewable projects are vital, they often face long development times and significant roadblocks, making them insufficient to meet the urgency and scale of this challenge alone.

This is where local solar and storage are uniquely positioned as a critical, fast, cost-effective, and clean solution. By harnessing power generated on rooftops and in our communities, we can quickly bolster our energy supply, improve grid stability, and reduce costs for everyone, all while ensuring this new energy demand is met with carbon-free resources. Vote Solar champions local clean energy solutions through strategic state-level advocacy, aiming to accelerate local solar deployment towards at least 184 GW by 2035 and 250 GW by 2040.

Think Globally, Build Locally

Local clean energy solutions, sometimes called Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), especially solar combined with energy storage, offer a powerful and essential answer to our energy and climate challenges. Instead of relying solely on a few large, distant power plants – or building new gas plants – we can harness power generated right in our communities, on rooftops and local sites. Plus, most of the policies that support local clean energy solutions are decided by state leaders, avoiding the challenging political environment in Washington, DC.

Why is this approach so critical?

Speed and Scalability: Unlike mega-projects that take years, local solar installations can be deployed rapidly, often within months, leveraging existing buildings and distribution networks. For instance, New York achieved its ambitious 2019 goal of 6 GW of distributed solar by 2025 a year early and is now adding more than a gigawatt every year. This speed is vital for cleanly addressing near-term load growth and provides crucial flexibility while larger resources are developed.
Affordability and Cost Savings: Local solar and storage can put downward pressure on electricity rates by reducing demand on the distribution and transmission systems and leveraging private investment, benefiting all consumers. Virtual Power Plants (VPPs), where multiple homes combine their power, can meet peak demand at a significantly lower cost – 40-60% less than traditional alternatives like utility-scale batteries and natural gas peaker plants. Furthermore, generating power locally can help avoid or defer expensive transmission upgrades. A California analysis showed that deploying 5.4 GW of community solar and storage could avoid an estimated $910 million just by reducing the need for new transmission infrastructure and instead maximizing the use of existing local grids.
Reliability and Resilience: In an era of increasing strain on our electric system and more frequent and intense extreme weather events caused by climate change, we need real solutions that can be deployed quickly, keep the lights on, and maintain community safety.
Widespread Benefits: Beyond the grid, local solar initiatives leverage private investment to create local jobs, contribute to significantly cleaner air by displacing fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and offer consumers greater energy choice and control.

Leading the Charge for a Brighter Energy Future

We are at the forefront of this movement, working to create a robust market for local solar solutions. Realizing the full potential of local solar requires navigating complex policies, addressing monopoly utility resistance, and ensuring equitable access. Now more than ever, our approach is essential—our strategic advocacy draws on deep state-level expertise to drive change in critical venues like Public Utility Commissions and state legislatures.

Vote Solar is currently intervening in critical regulatory proceedings in many of the states facing the largest influx of new, massive data center developments, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia..

Making our Case for Clean Energy in Georgia Power’s Resource Plan

A prime example of our state-level intervention is our ongoing work in Georgia. On January 31, 2025, Georgia Power filed its 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) with the Georgia Public Service Commission. An IRP is how many utilities get approval for new investments to meet future energy demand. Georgia Power is proposing significant investment in new and existing fossil fuel assets to meet a projected 8,200 MW increase in energy demand by 2030. In response, we, in partnership with the local nonprofit organization GA Wand, intervened in this legal proceeding to advocate for cleaner alternatives.

Our strategy in Georgia is two-pronged – in addition to addressing the negative ratepayer impacts and added costs of continued fossil fuel investments, our specific role with GA Wand is to demonstrate that more clean energy is the best alternative. We are making the case for increasing the proposed solar-plus-storage capacity and for larger investments in demand-side management programs for residential and commercial customers. Our team is actively participating in hearings, questioning expert witnesses on their proposed DER programming, and, in collaboration with research institutes like PSE Healthy Energy, filing expert testimony to provide evidence that clean energy assets are reliable, more cost-effective for customers, and better for the planet.

The goal is to sway the Commission’s decision towards solutions benefiting all customers and the environment. By illustrating the harmful impacts of fossil fuels and demonstrating the reliability and cost-effectiveness of clean energy, we aim to grow renewable energy on Georgia Power’s grid and put downward pressure on skyrocketing residential rates. Our immediate objective is to expand clean energy options for Georgians. As these programs yield data and positive customer experiences, we will continue to leverage them in future proceedings, building the case for a grid powered entirely by clean energy.

Building a Sunnier Tomorrow, Together

The path to a clean energy future is paved with local action, and the impact is already tangible. Successes across diverse political landscapes, like securing over 12,208 MW of solar demand in 2024 alone – enough to power nearly 2.47 million homes and avoid 10.6 million tons of CO2 emissions – underscore that state-level progress towards a cleaner, modernized grid is both achievable and essential. By embracing local solar and storage, we can create an even more resilient, affordable, and equitable energy system for all. Imagine communities empowered by their own clean energy resources, breathing cleaner air, and contributing directly to a stable climate. This future is within our reach, but it requires continued advocacy, smart policies, and collective effort. Join us in championing the power of local solar. Learn more about how you can support these initiatives, advocate for change in your community, and help build a sunnier, more sustainable tomorrow for generations to come.