United States Set To Add Thirty-Three Gigawatts Of Solar Capacity

• The U.S. is on pace to add 33 GW of utility-scale solar in 2025, with Texas leading new capacity as developers accelerate second-half buildouts.

The U.S. utility-scale solar market is heading for another record year. Developers report that more than 12 GW entered service in the first half of 2025, with a further 21 GW expected to connect before year-end—putting total additions near 33 GW. If those schedules hold, solar would account for well over half of all new U.S. power capacity this year, extending a multi-year run in which photovoltaics have outpaced every other generation source.

Texas remains the workhorse. A deep queue of projects, abundant land, and strong solar resources continue to attract capital to the ERCOT region, even as developers navigate transmission congestion and evolving interconnection rules. Other hot spots include the Desert Southwest and parts of the Southeast, where growing data-center demand and population growth are sharpening the focus on clean, fast-to-build capacity.

Grid planners are adjusting to the new normal. Midday output surges are reshaping power prices and pushing system operators to value storage, demand response, and flexible gas as complements to a rapidly expanding solar fleet. That, in turn, is changing project design. More developers now pair PV with batteries to shift energy into evening peaks and provide grid services such as frequency response and ramp support. Co-located storage also helps projects clear congestion and capture higher revenue when the sun sets and prices rise.

Policy remains a tailwind. Transferable tax credits, domestic-content incentives, and bonus adders for certain geographies or workforce practices are helping deals pencil out despite higher interest rates and supply-chain friction. Module availability has improved compared with 2023–2024, allowing EPCs to firm construction schedules and reduce delay risk. The near-term challenge is operational: keeping sites on track through transformer deliveries, workforce constraints, and tighter commissioning windows in an already crowded fourth quarter.

Even with those hurdles, the trajectory is clear. With costs continuing to decline over the long term and new load growth emerging from electrification and computing, 2025 is shaping up as another milestone year for American solar—one that cements its role at the center of the country’s resource mix.