“These findings can help us guide the future development of wind and solar energy.”

Imagine getting paid $249 billion just for doing the right thing.

Well, as the Guardian reports, this is exactly what the United States has benefited from over the past few years by increasing its use of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.

From 2019 to 2022, America seriously upped its renewable energy game. An enlightening study published in Cell Reports Sustainability found that wind and solar generation increased by a whopping 55%, to the point that it supplied about 14% of the country’s total electricity needs last year.

That’s the equivalent of taking 71 million gas-guzzling cars off the road every year when it comes to climate-damaging pollution.

But that’s not all: by burning much less coal and oil to produce electricity, we have also significantly improved the country’s air quality.

Key pollutants like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which are linked to asthma and other health problems, fell by 1.1 million tons. And all that clearer skies translated into an estimated $249 billion in public health benefits.

So which parts of the country have made the most money by going green? Researchers have found that the central U.S. reaps huge benefits from wind power, while North Carolina and South Carolina benefit greatly from solar farms. Understanding the benefits of renewable energy can help us double down on clean energy efforts in regions that need it most.

“These findings can help us direct future wind and solar energy development to deliver the greatest climate and health benefits,” said Jeremiah Johnson, a professor of climate and energy at North Carolina State University, according to the Guardian.

Johnson noted that society “often focuses on the challenges we face” when it comes to the environment. “But it’s also important to recognize when something is working.”

While the climate crisis may seem daunting, it’s this kind of progress that should give us all hope. When we work together to accelerate the deployment of clean energy, we’re not only helping save the planet—we’re also saving billions of dollars and making the air safer to breathe.

If that’s not a win-win situation, we don’t know what is.

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