In Decarbonizing Electricity in the US: A Regional Overview of the American Energy Transition, we analyze the progress in decarbonizing the electricity sector in the United States at both a national and state-by-state level. We document trends in American electricity capacity by carbon-free and carbon-intensive energy sources from 2015 to 2025 (based on planned capacity additions and retirements) and compare progress on carbon-free electricity deployment to benchmarks provided by the Net Zero America Project (NZAP). The NZAP provides state-by-state five-year targets for various feasible decarbonization technologies needed to reach net- zero carbon emissions by 2050. Our analysis compares the NZAP’s 2025 targets to existing capacities and capacity additions planned to be operational by 2025.

While there are many pathways to achieving net-zero emissions (and states should not be viewed as failing to decarbonize if they do not meet specific targets), the NZAP provides useful guideposts for policymakers and businesses investing in carbon-free electricity capacity. To complement the state-level comparison to the NZAP targets, we also assess the percentage of each state’s electricity capacity from carbon-free sources. This provides a practical measure of progress toward a final objective of 100 percent carbon-free electricity capacity. Finally, we discuss three case studies of US states and regions (California, Texas, and the Northeastern US) whose stories provide unique insights into the opportunities and challenges on the road to decarbonization of the American electricity sector.