The Department of Energy is projecting that solar power could comprise up to 40 percent of U.S. power generation nationwide by 2035, an increase of more than tenfold from today, with better incentives for renewable energy.

In a memo released Tuesday, department officials cite a pre-publication study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory indicating that solar energy would need to grow at a 300 to 400 percent rate to reach this point. With this level of acceleration, the memo states, solar generation could increase from 3 percent now to more than 40 percent over the next 14 years.

The memo identifies a number of strategies officials say could advance this goal, including clean energy tax credits, investment in the grid and transmission lines and increased deployment to low-income communities.

Guest post from The Hill