With the sun slipping behind the horizon a little earlier every afternoon and temperatures dropping a little more precipitously each night, turning on the heat is about to become front of mind in many households in western Massachusetts. This change happens every autumn, but for many of our neighbors, something’s different this year: We are in the midst of a broad societal shift toward clean and renewable energy sources to power our lives.

How fast is renewable energy growing in America?

Just one decade ago, only a small fraction of the energy we used came from the wind, the sun and geothermal sources beneath the earth. Fossil fuels such as coal, gas (often called “natural gas,” a sanitized term for a product mostly made of highly polluting methane) and nuclear power still dominated America’s energy landscape then.

Thankfully, that’s changing. In 2022, wind, solar and geothermal provided 17% of our nation’s electricity — enough to power more than 60 million American homes. That’s according to Renewables on the Rise, an update to an interactive dashboard out this month from Environment Massachusetts Research & Policy Center. Across the United States, we produced three times as much renewable electricity from the sun and the wind in 2022 as we did in 2013.

Here are some of the key findings for Massachusetts:

Solar power: In 2022, Massachusetts generated 10 times as much solar power as it did in 2013, enough to power 441,063 typical homes.

Wind power: In 2022, Massachusetts generated 1.1 times as much wind power as it did in 2013, enough to power 20,691 typical homes.

If things go according to plan, the turbines of Vineyard Wind, America’s first utility-scale offshore wind farm, will start to spin within the next year, producing enough energy to power 400,000 Massachusetts homes.

What is Massachusetts’ renewable energy potential?

Massachusetts has no shortage of renewable energy potential to tap. Research from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found Massachusetts has enough solar potential to meet the state’s electricity demand in 2020 three times over and enough wind resources to meet 21 times the state’s electricity demand, with current technologies.

Renewable energy usage is growing in Massachusetts thanks to a combination of falling prices, advances in technology and supportive policies. But given the immense damage that comes from burning fossil fuels, which still make up the bulk of our energy sources, we need to do more to facilitate a statewide transition to clean energy.

What are Massachusetts’ leaders doing to grow the use of clean energy?

The governor and state leaders are taking steps on many fronts. Our leaders have codified a goal of generating 40% of our electricity from clean sources by 2035. The state has committed to all new car sales being electric vehicles in 2035 and we’ve committed to electrifying the MBTA bus fleet by 2040. We’ve had nation-leading energy efficiency programs for years. But we need to pick up the pace to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

While the state’s goals seemed ambitious when they were set, we now know we can do better. It’s time to codify a goal of reaching 100% clean energy by 2035.

As a candidate, now-Gov. Maura Healey said she supported a goal of 100% clean electricity by 2030. Now, state lawmakers need to take action and make sure Massachusetts joins the 11 other states that have codified commitments to transition to the use of 100% clean or renewable energy. State Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa is already a cosponsor of the 100% Clean Act. If you’d like to let your local elected officials know you support the 100% Clean Act you can do so online at environmentamerica.org/massachusetts/.

Federal dollars are available to help. The Inflation Reduction Act includes tax credits that allows individuals, businesses, local governments, school districts and many nonprofits to qualify for tax credits that allow them to deduct 30% of the cost of renewable energy systems while supporting clean energy technologies such as electric heat pumps and electric vehicles, from their federal taxes through 2032.

Compared to fossil fuel-generated power, renewables are better for our health, better for our environment and, in the long run (sometimes even shor -term too), better for our bank accounts. As summer fades into history, we’re reminded that the warmth of the sun and gentle breezes are two of the purest natural joys of life. As the days get cooler, these renewable energy sources should be a bigger part of how we power our lives here in Massachusetts.

Johanna Neumann of Amherst has spent the past two decades working to protect our air, water and open spaces, defend consumers in the marketplace and advance a more sustainable economy and democratic society.