US Renewable Energy Surpasses Records in 2025, Driven by Solar and Battery Storage

The United States experienced a record year for power capacity buildout in 2025, with renewable energy sources leading the charge. New data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reveals that renewables accounted for nearly 26% of total U.S. Electricity generation and over 36% of installed generating capacity.

Record Capacity Additions

Developers added 64 gigawatts (GW) of new electric-generating capacity to the U.S. Power grid in 2025, a nearly 30% increase from the 48.6 GW added in 2024. This marks the largest single-year capacity installation since 2002, when 58 GW was added, primarily from natural gas. EIA.

Solar Takes the Lead

Solar power spearheaded this growth, accounting for 33.3 GW of the total new capacity. Approximately 21 GW of solar capacity was added in the second half of 2025 alone. This surge is attributed to factors like seasonality and the resolution of uncertainties surrounding federal clean energy tax credits, accelerating project timelines.

Texas has emerged as a solar energy hub, contributing 27% (3.2 GW) of the solar capacity added in 2025, with plans to add another 9.7 GW in the latter half of the year. The state surpassed California as the leader in utility-scale solar capacity last year.

Battery Storage Gains Momentum

Battery energy storage followed solar as the second-largest contributor to capacity additions, with 18.3 GW installed. Approximately 5.9 GW of battery storage was added in the first half of 2025, representing about 26% of overall capacity additions. A significant portion of these installations were located in Arizona and California.

Wind and Natural Gas Contributions

Wind power added 7.8 GW of new capacity, while natural gas contributed 4.7 GW.

Renewables Reshaping the Power Mix

The growth of renewables and battery storage is reshaping the U.S. Power mix, with projections indicating that these sources will add over 60% more generating capacity in 2026 than in 2025. Solar generation increased by 34.5% in 2025 compared to 2024, and combined with modest-scale solar, accounted for nearly 9.0% of total U.S. Electricity generation.

Wind energy continues to be the largest renewable source, generating 10.3% of total U.S. Electricity in 2025, a 2.8% increase from the previous year.