
US Clean Energy Factbook: Generation Hits 20-Year High
From Switched On by Bloomberg
March 18, 2026 · 37 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the current state of the US energy transition, highlighting record electricity generation and investment in clean technologies despite reduced federal policy support.
The US energy transition has hit an inflection point. Electricity generation reached a 20-year high last year, as renewables and energy storage accounted for 90% of new capacity additions. Energy-transition investment reached a record $378 billion, and more electric vehicles were sold than ever before. Yet all these headline figures occurred as federal policy support for clean technologies was scaled back. So what do the numbers really reveal about the state of the US energy transition, and how resilient are clean technologies as policy winds shift? On today’s show, Tom Rowlands-Rees is joined by Ethan Zindler, BloombergNEF’s head of country and policy research, and Trina White, a senior associate from the North America transition team, to review findings from the 2026 edition of the “Sustainable Energy in America Factbook,” which is produced each year in collaboration with the Business Council for Sustainable Energy. Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal or on bnef.com Links to research notes from this episode: Sustainable Energy in America…
People in this episode
Host: Tom Rowlands-Rees
Guests: Ethan Zindler, Trina White
Topics covered
- clean energy
- electricity generation
- renewable energy
- energy transition
- policy support
- investment
Keywords
- clean energy
- electric vehicles
- renewables
- energy storage
- Sustainable Energy in America Factbook
- investment
- policy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: BloombergNEF, Business Council for Sustainable Energy, BNEF
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