The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicts a record year for U.S. electric power installations in 2025, with 64 GW of new capacity expected. Almost all of this new capacity will come from zero-emission sources, led by solar.
The EIA says this figure will break the previous record set in 2002, when 58 GW of new capacity was installed, 57 GW of which came from natural gas. The 2025 record will be led by clean energy sources, with solar expected to contribute 33.3 GW, followed by 18.3 GW of battery storage, 7.8 GW of wind, and 4.7 GW of natural gas.
Solar installations will accelerate significantly in the second half of this year. Approximately 12 GW will be added in the first half of the year, while another 21 GW is expected in the second half. This is partly due to seasonal installation trends but also to a shifting policy environment. With uncertainty surrounding the Clean Energy Bill package resolved, project construction schedules are being accelerated to meet the tight deadline for federal clean energy tax credits.
The EIA noted that approximately 27% (3.2 GW) of new solar capacity added in the first half of 2025 came from Texas. Developers plan to add another 9.7 GW of solar in Texas in the second half of the year. Last year, Texas surpassed California to become the largest state in the United States for utility-scale solar installations.
Despite ongoing challenges, battery storage ranked second in new installations in the first half of the year, adding 5.9 GW, or approximately 26%. The EIA said about half of this was installed in Arizona and California. Developers in Texas plan to bring 7.0 GW of battery storage online in 2025, with the majority coming online in the second half of the year.
The EIA also noted that by early 2025, approximately 8.7 GW of fossil fuel capacity is expected to retire, primarily from coal. However, 3.6 GW of planned retirements have been postponed or canceled, including 1.3 GW at Brandon Shores Coal-fired Power Plant Units 1 and 2 in Maryland, 0.7 GW at Herbert A. Wagner Oil-fired Power Plant Units 3 and 4 in Maryland, and 0.9 GW at V. H. Braunig Natural Gas-fired Power Plant Units 1 through 3 in Texas. The EIA said coal accounted for 71% of this year's retirements, while natural gas accounted for 19%.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicts a record year for U.S. electric power installations in 2025, with 64 GW of new capacity expected. Almost all of this new capacity will come from zero-emission sources, led by solar.
The EIA says this figure will break the previous record set in 2002, when 58 GW of new capacity was installed, 57 GW of which came from natural gas. The 2025 record will be led by clean energy sources, with solar expected to contribute 33.3 GW, followed by 18.3 GW of battery storage, 7.8 GW of wind, and 4.7 GW of natural gas.
Solar installations will accelerate significantly in the second half of this year. Approximately 12 GW will be added in the first half of the year, while another 21 GW is expected in the second half. This is partly due to seasonal installation trends but also to a shifting policy environment. With uncertainty surrounding the Clean Energy Bill package resolved, project construction schedules are being accelerated to meet the tight deadline for federal clean energy tax credits.
The EIA noted that approximately 27% (3.2 GW) of new solar capacity added in the first half of 2025 came from Texas. Developers plan to add another 9.7 GW of solar in Texas in the second half of the year. Last year, Texas surpassed California to become the largest state in the United States for utility-scale solar installations.
Despite ongoing challenges, battery storage ranked second in new installations in the first half of the year, adding 5.9 GW, or approximately 26%. The EIA said about half of this was installed in Arizona and California. Developers in Texas plan to bring 7.0 GW of battery storage online in 2025, with the majority coming online in the second half of the year.
The EIA also noted that by early 2025, approximately 8.7 GW of fossil fuel capacity is expected to retire, primarily from coal. However, 3.6 GW of planned retirements have been postponed or canceled, including 1.3 GW at Brandon Shores Coal-fired Power Plant Units 1 and 2 in Maryland, 0.7 GW at Herbert A. Wagner Oil-fired Power Plant Units 3 and 4 in Maryland, and 0.9 GW at V. H. Braunig Natural Gas-fired Power Plant Units 1 through 3 in Texas. The EIA said coal accounted for 71% of this year's retirements, while natural gas accounted for 19%.
