Solar is 77.7% of new capacity added to U.S. grid in 2025

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The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) released its Energy Infrastructure Update, highlighting grid-scale project additions through April 2025.

Solar continues to lead as a source of new electric generation capacity. Of the 12.2 GW added to the grid through April, 9.5 GW was solar. Solar represented 77.7% of capacity additions, followed by wind (18%) and natural gas (4%).

In terms of total cumulative energy capacity, natural gas remains the leading source. About 42.5% of U.S. electric generation capacity is natural gas, followed by coal (14.9%), wind (11.8%), solar (10.98%), nuclear (7.9%) and hydropower (7.66%). Oil, biomass, waste heat, geothermal steam, and other sources make up roughly 4% together.

Looking ahead, FERC’s “high probability additions” show continued solar dominance. From May 2025 to April 2028, FERC expects 90 GW of solar, 23 GW of wind, and 19 GW of natural gas. It also expects 24 GW of coal to be retired, as well as 14 GW of natural gas retirements and 1.9 GW of oil. Only 17 MW of solar is expected to be retired over the three-year period.

Among all queued project additions for the three-year outlook, over 224 GW of solar projects, 70 GW of wind projects, and 40 GW of natural gas projects are queued for development. Today, natural gas has 565 GW of active capacity on the grid while solar has 146 GW. However, FERC’s figures do not include small-scale solar like rooftop residential solar, which the Energy Information Administration estimates contributes an additional one-third of grid-scale solar capacity.

Image: FERC

Solar project updates for April 2025 

  • Hornet Solar LLC (TX)’s 602.4 MW Hornet Solar (TX) Project in Swisher County, TX is online. The power generated is sold to Brunswick Corp under long-term contract.
  • Harquahala Sun 2 LLC’s 300.0 MW Harquahala Sun 2 Project in Maricopa County, AZ is online.
  • Long Lake Solar LLC’s 200.0 MW Long Lake Solar Project in Phillips County, AR is online.
  • Pleasant Valley Solar LLC’s 200.0 MW Pleasant Valley Solar Project in Ada County, ID is online. The power generated is sold to Idaho Power Co under long-term contract.
  • Serrano Solar LLC’s 170.0 MW Serrano Solar Project in Pima County, AZ is online.
  • Copia Power’s 150.0 MW Harquahala Sun Photovoltaic Solar Energy Generation & Storage Project in Maricopa County, AZ is online.
  • Powell Creek Solar LLC’s 150.0 MW Powell Creek Solar Project in Putnam County, OH is online.
  • Swift Air Solar LLC’s 146.5 MW Swift Air Solar Project in Ector County, TX is online.
  • DTE Electric Co’s 80.0 MW Pine River Solar Park in Gratiot County, MI is online.
  • Babcock & Brown’s 72.0 MW Chaparral Solar Expansion Project in Kern County, CA is online. The power generated is sold to Peninsula Clean Energy Authority under long-term contract.
  • Avangrid Renewables LLC’s 44.0 MW Camino Solar Project in Kern County, CA is online.
  • River Trail Solar LLC’s 20.0 MW River Trail Solar Project in Carroll County, VA is online.
  • Foul Rift Solar Farm LLC’s 19.8 MW Foul Rift Solar Farm in Warren County, NJ is online.
  • Sunny Rock Solar LLC’s 19.5 MW Sunny Rock Project in Henry County, VA is online.
  • Texas Bluebonnet Solar Partners LLC’s 9.8 MW Texas Bluebonnet Solar Project in Mclennan County, TX is online.
  • Anacott Solar LLC’s 7.4 MW Anacott Solar Project in Montgomery County, IL is online.
  • Goldenrod Solar LLC’s 7.4 MW Goldenrod Solar Project in Mercer County, IL is online.
  • Wisconsin Electric Power Co’s 6.0 MW Caledonia Solar WI Project in Racine County, WI is online.
  • Monongahela Power Co. 5.8 MW Marlowe Solar Project in Hancock County, WV is online.
  • Onsite Partners ITC Transfer Co LLC’s 5.5 MW Kent State University Solar & Battery Project in Portage County, OH is online. The power generated is sold to FirstEnergy Corp under long-term contract.
  • SL Fredonia LLC’s 5.0 NY Fredonia 9824 Route 60 Solar Project in Chautauqua County, NY is online. The power generated is sold to National Grid Generation LLC under long-term contract

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