US Solar Surges with 12 GW Added in H1 2025

A Tectonic Shift: US Adds 12 GW of Solar in First Half of 2025, Dominating New Power Growth The United States is undergoing a profound energy transformation, and the first half of 2025 has provided the clearest evidence yet of its accelerating pace. According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), developers have added a massive 12 gigawatts (GW) of new utility-scale solar electric generating capacity to the nation's grid in just the first six months of the year. This explosive growth puts the U.S. on a trajectory for a record-shattering year for energy installations, demonstrating a decisive, market-driven pivot away from fossil fuels and towards a future powered by renewables. This 12 GW figure is not just a statistic; it's the leading edge of a much larger wave. Developers have even more ambitious plans for the latter half of the year, with an additional 21 GW of large-scale solar projects scheduled to come online before year-end. If these plans are fully realized, total solar additions for 2025 will exceed 33 GW, meaning solar power alone will account for more than half of the total 64 GW of new generating capacity planned across all energy sources this year. This level of solar dominance was unthinkable just a few years ago and signals that clean energy is no longer an alternative but the primary driver of new power in America. The New Energy Paradigm: A Record Year Led by Renewables The projected 64 GW of total new capacity in 2025 is poised to set a new all-time record for annual power additions in the United States, surpassing the previous high of 58 GW set back in 2002. However, the composition of this new power reveals a dramatic and fundamental shift in the nation's energy strategy. The 2002 record was fueled almost entirely by a boom in natural gas, which accounted for 57 of the 58 GW added that year. In stark contrast, the 2025 expansion is overwhelmingly led by clean technologies. The breakdown of planned additions for this year tells the story : Solar Power: 33.3 GW (over 51%) Battery Storage: 18.3 GW (over 28%) Wind Power: 7.8 GW (over 12%) Natural Gas: 4.7 GW (just over 7%) This data illustrates that while natural gas continues to be added to the grid, its role as the leading source of new capacity has been decisively usurped by solar and battery storage. For the first time, renewable technologies are not just participating in the growth of the U.S. grid—they are leading it. Texas Takes the Crown: The New Epicenter of American Solar While solar growth is a nationwide phenomenon, one state has emerged as the undisputed leader of this revolution: Texas. Traditionally the heartland of the U.S. oil and gas industry, the Lone Star State is now becoming the nation's solar powerhouse. In the first half of 2025, Texas alone was responsible for installing 3.2 GW of new utility-scale solar, representing about 27% of the entire country's additions. The state's momentum is only increasing, with developers planning to bring a further 9.7 GW of solar capacity online in the second half of the year. This incredible surge has already allowed Texas to surpass California as the state with the most installed utility-scale solar capacity, a landmark moment in the geography of American energy. The vast, sun-drenched plains of Texas are rapidly being transformed into the engine room of the nation's clean power future. The Silent Partner: Battery Storage's Critical Role The meteoric rise of solar is inextricably linked to the parallel boom in utility-scale battery storage. As an intermittent power source that only generates electricity when the sun shines, solar's full potential can only be unlocked with reliable storage solutions. The 2025 data shows the market has fully embraced this synergy. Battery storage accounted for the second-largest share of new capacity in the first half of the year, with 5.9 GW brought online. Just like solar, battery storage is on track for its biggest year ever, with total planned additions for 2025 reaching 18.3 GW. This massive build-out of storage is critical for grid stability, allowing the abundant, cheap solar power generated during the day to be stored and dispatched during evening peak hours or when solar output is low. This solar-plus-storage combination is rapidly becoming the new default for clean, reliable, and dispatchable power, with Arizona, California, and increasingly Texas leading the charge in deployment. A Confluence of Favorable Forces This unprecedented growth is not happening in a vacuum. It is the result of powerful economic and policy tailwinds converging to make solar and storage the most attractive option for new power generation. The falling costs of photovoltaic panels and battery technologies have made them economically competitive with, and often cheaper than, new fossil fuel plants. Furthermore, supportive federal policies, such as the long-term tax credits for clean energy projects, have provided the certainty needed for developers to invest billions of dollars and accelerate project timelines. While there may be policy shifts on the horizon, the current landscape has created immense momentum that has propelled the U.S. to the forefront of the global energy transition. The first six months of 2025 will be remembered as a turning point. It was the moment the U.S. energy transition moved from a gradual shift to a full-throttle transformation, with solar power firmly in the driver's seat.