Top climate advisor: Half of US solar capacity came during Biden administration

Solar energy in the US is cheaper and more widespread than ever.

At Semafor’s World Economy Summit in Washington, DC, Friday, the White House’s top climate advisor Ali Zaidi said, “Half of the solar installed in the United States [was] installed in the Biden-Harris Administration,” which aligns with a report by the clean energy nonprofit Solar Energy Industries Association.

Solar energy is also becoming cheaper, according to Boston-based clean energy company EnergySage. During the first half of 2024, the firm quoted clients less than $3 per watt, the lowest price in a decade.

Zaidi credits the Inflation Reduction Act, in part. “The leading indicator of the IRA’s success, and frankly, the theory of change is bringing back manufacturing jobs to the United States,” he said. “Now we are seeing factories showing up on the ground.”

Zaidi, who previously served in the Obama administration, became the first White House Deputy National Climate Advisor in 2021 and was promoted to National Climate Advisor in 2022.