US Solar Hits 164 GW as Clean Energy Leads Grid Growth

The United States just made solar power its fastest-growing energy source for another year, adding enough capacity to power millions of homes while leaving fossil fuels further behind.

In 2025, developers installed 26,556 megawatts of new solar across the country. That represents nearly three quarters of all new power added to America's electrical grid last year, according to data from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Solar now makes up 12.16% of total US generating capacity at 164.53 gigawatts. Combined with wind power at 11.91%, renewables are rapidly closing the gap with natural gas, which still leads at 42% but continues losing ground each year.

The December numbers tell the transformation story clearly. Seventeen new solar projects came online in the final month alone, totaling 993 megawatts from Minnesota to Texas to Maryland. One standout was the 325-megawatt Iron Pine Solar Project in Pine County, Minnesota, now powering thousands of homes in the upper Midwest.

Meanwhile, coal is heading in the opposite direction. Over 40 gigawatts of coal plants are expected to retire by 2028, with exactly zero new coal projects in the pipeline. Natural gas additions have also slowed dramatically as utilities bet on cleaner alternatives.

The Ripple Effect

The shift touches communities across America in tangible ways. Projects like Michigan's 40.8-megawatt Genesee Solar farm supply clean power to local utilities under long-term contracts, stabilizing energy prices while cutting emissions. Florida's Whistling Duck Solar Project and Ohio's Sycamore Creek facility bring jobs and tax revenue to rural counties that once relied on fossil fuel industries.

The three-year outlook shows the transition accelerating even faster. High-probability projects include 86.5 gigawatts of solar and nearly 20 gigawatts of wind by December 2028. If all proposed solar projects currently in development get built, that number jumps to 240 gigawatts of new solar capacity.

That kind of growth means cleaner air, more energy independence, and thousands of construction and maintenance jobs in communities from coast to coast. It also means Americans are increasingly powering their lives with energy that costs nothing to fuel and produces zero emissions.

The grid that powers America is being rebuilt in real time, one solar panel and wind turbine at a time, and the momentum shows no signs of slowing down.