Reported and wrote audio script for KQED

Renewable energy met California’s daytime power needs on a record number of days last year. California is now about halfway to its goal of completely carbon-free electricity by 2045.

That was a result of a new study from Stanford and U.C. Berkeley researchers, who say it paints a bright future for California’s clean energy.

Study author Mark Jacobson of Stanford: “California is the fifth largest economy in the world, and for renewables to meet such a high demand is incredible.”

The recent growth in industries like wind and solar meant that, just between 2023 and 2024, natural gas use in California fell by as much as 25 percent.

California’s progress and national data show that energy from wind, sun and other natural resources can be stable and affordable, the researchers say.

Photo courtesy of Murat Taner/Getty Images