U.S. Solar Surged In 2025: 21 GW Added, Meeting 61% Of Nation’s Growing Electricity Demand

How quickly has solar power grown in the United States? Through September 2025, the country added 21 gigawatts of utility-scale solar. That’s slightly more than the 20 GW installed over the same period in 2024. Through September 2025, solar made up roughly 75 percent of all new generation added this year. The total new generation installed reached an estimated 28 GW, with wind at approximately 13 percent and natural gas at 11 percent, according to FERC data.

Solar dominated new U.S. generation in 2025, accounting for 75 percent of all capacity added through September.

Solar’s role goes beyond new builds. It met 61 percent of U.S. electricity demand growth in 2025. That’s notable because demand rose for the first time in about two decades. September alone added 2 GW of solar capacity. Utility-scale solar outpaced wind and natural gas combined in new installations, according to FERC data. Solar generation reached 8.5% of all U.S. electricity in 2025, underscoring its rapidly expanding share of the national energy mix.

The numbers build on a record-breaking year. In 2025, 43.2 GW of solar was installed overall, though utility-scale solar declined 16% to 27.2 GW compared to 2024. By the end of 2024, solar became the second-largest source of generation capacity in the country. Texas, California, and Florida reportedly led the way, accounting for roughly 43 percent of installs. Texas led all states with 11 GW of new solar installations in 2025.

Looking ahead, forecasts remain strong. The EIA reportedly projected 39 GW of solar growth for all of 2025. FERC expects 91 GW of solar among 136 GW of high-probability additions by 2028. Another 70 GW of new solar is scheduled for 2026 and 2027, a 49 percent capacity increase. Utility-scale solar generation is forecast to grow from roughly 290 billion kilowatt-hours in 2025 to an estimated 424 billion by 2027, according to EIA projections. EIR analysts highlight this as a transformative period for the U.S. grid, with solar additions expected to peak in 2028.

Still, challenges exist. The Trump administration has reportedly implemented changes to tax policy affecting renewable energy credits. Permit revocations and added scrutiny have slowed some projects. By some accounts, in the third quarter of 2025, around 20 percent of planned solar capacity faced delays, down from roughly 25 percent earlier. However, cancellations stayed under 1 percent monthly. Despite policy headwinds, solar remains competitive through power purchase agreements and low costs. In ERCOT, Texas’s grid, solar generation is expected to nearly double from 56 billion kWh in 2025 to 106 billion by 2027.