According to a new report, Los Angeles is once again leading the U.S. in total solar capacity. Honolulu, Hawaii ranks second for solar capacity per head.
Environment America’s eighth annual Shining Cities Report was released. It ranks U.S. cities according to total solar capacity and per capita. The report revealed that the United States has 121.4 GW of installed solar PV capacity, enough to power more 23 million homes.
These rankings reflect data as at the end of 2021. This includes rooftop and utility-scale capacity within city limits in DC megawatts.
- Los Angeles, CA – 649.9 MW
- San Diego, CA – 468 MW
- Las Vegas, NV – 442.8 MW
- Honolulu, HI – 397.8 MW
- San Antonio, TX – 354.9 MW
- New York, NY – 354.4MW
- Phoenix, AZ – 342 MW
- San Jose, CA 290.9 MW
- Albuquerque, NM – 166.8 MW
- Washington, DC – 140.2MW
- Honolulu, HI – 1,133.5 watts/person
- Las Vegas, NV – 689.9 watts/person
- San Diego, CA – 337.4 watts/person
- Albuquerque (NM) – 295.5 watts/person
- San Jose, CA – 287.1 Watts/person
- San Antonio, TX – 247.4 Watts/person
- Burlington VT – 222.9 watts/person
- New Orleans, LA 218 watts per person
- Phoenix, AZ – 212.7 watts/person
- Washington, DC – 203.3 Watts/person
Despite 15 cities seeing a tenfold rise in solar capacity between 2014-2020, the report found headwinds to solar deployment. Utility rollbacks to net Metering, which credits solar customers with surplus electricity they generate and deliver back to the grid.
In March, the North Carolina attorney general requested that state regulators delay Duke’s proposed net billing reforms. She claimed they didn’t take into account the true value distributed generation.
Solar advocates in Florida meanwhile called on Gov. Ron DeSantis should veto legislation that would have “nightmare” effects on rooftop solar customers.
After facing backlash from stakeholders, California regulators stopped their process.
