The U.S. solar industry installed 26,556 MW of new utility-scale capacity over the course of 2025, representing the vast majority of the 36,551 MW in total new builds for the year, said data from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
While the annual total dipped slightly compared to the 33.8 GW installed in 2024, solar remains the primary driver of grid expansion, now making up 12.16% of the total available installed generating capacity in the United States.
In the final month of the year, developers brought 1,193 MW of new capacity online, headlined by 17 solar units totaling 993 MW and a single 200 MW wind project. Notable utility-scale completions for the month include:
- Iron Pine Solar Power LLC’s 325 MW Iron Pine Solar Project in Pine County, MN.
- Morrow Lake Solar LLC’s 201.1 MW Morrow Lake Solar & Storage Project in Frio County, TX.
- Top Hat Wind Energy LLC’s 200 MW Top Hat Wind Energy Center in Logan County, IL.
- CPV Backbone Solar LLC‘s 160 MW CPV Backbone Solar Project in Garrett County, MD.
- Sycamore Creek Solar LLC’s 117 MW Sycamore Creek Solar Project in Crawford County, OH.
Regional contributions included Origis Energy’s 74.9 MW Whistling Duck Solar Project in Florida and Genesee Solar Energy LLC’s 40.8 MW project in Michigan, which will supply power to Consumers Energy Co under a long-term contract.
As of year-end 2025, the U.S. total available installed generating capacity stands at 1,353.04 GW. Natural gas maintains the largest share of the mix, though its dominance continues to be challenged by the rapid scaling of solar and wind.
| Fuel Type | Installed Capacity (GW) | % of Total Capacity |
| Natural Gas | 570.56 | 42.17% |
| Solar | 164.53 | 12.16% |
| Wind | 161.10 | 11.91% |
| Coal | 193.40 | 14.29% |
| Nuclear | 104.39 | 7.71% |
The three-year outlook suggests a massive acceleration in the energy transition. “High probability” additions through December 2028 include 86.5 GW of solar and 19.9 GW of wind. In contrast, the fossil fuel sector is bracing for significant contractions; the industry expects over 40.8 GW of coal capacity to retire by 2028, compared to zero planned “high probability” coal additions.
If all proposed additions in the current pipeline reach completion, solar could add as much as 240 GW to the U.S. grid by the end of 2028, further cementing its position as the leading source of new American power generation.
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