California has kicked off 2025 with impressive clean electricity generation, marked by a decline in gas use, increased wind and battery output, and—last Sunday—solar meeting nearly 100% of grid demand in the middle of winter.  

Mark Jacobson, a Stanford professor of civil and environmental engineering, has been diligently tracking electricity generation trends from wind, water, and solar (WWS) over the past year. His research aligns with a significant uptick in periods when 100% of the state’s grid demand is being met by clean energy. 

This increase is largely due to rapid storage expansion, which has started to take over portions of the evening demand peak from gas, reducing solar curtailment and improving grid stability.  Now, as the new year unfolds, the pace is picking up.

California recorded four consecutive days from February 14 to 17 when WWS generation exceeded 100% of grid demand at times. This occurred about a week and a half past the midpoint of winter, when solar output is typically lower due to shorter

Source: PV Magazine