58 Gigawatts of Solar Power Hiding on US Rooftops

Solar panels scattered across American rooftops and parking lots have quietly accumulated enough power to run a small country.

According to the US Energy Information Agency, small-scale solar installations across homes, businesses, and community spaces have reached 58.1 gigawatts of capacity as of last October. That's enough clean electricity to power roughly 11 million homes, hiding in plain sight above our heads and over our parking spaces.

The numbers keep climbing. Utility-scale solar is projected to grow 21% in both 2026 and 2027, adding nearly 70 gigawatts of new capacity. That growth could push solar past wind energy capacity for the first time ever, possibly by mid-2026.

Companies are catching on to solar's potential in unexpected places. Leading waste management firm WM just announced plans to convert 50 or more of its landfills into solar farms, partnering with energy company Invenergy to transform properties that can't easily be developed for other uses.

Money is pouring into these smaller, distributed solar projects too. Deutsche Bank just invested $200 million in Aspen Power to expand community solar, commercial installations, and small utility-scale projects nationwide. The bank's infrastructure financing head Jeremy Eisman pointed to "growing demand for distributed clean energy" as the driving force.

Even struggling farmland is getting a second life. California's Westlands Water District, unable to sustain irrigation for farms in its territory, is considering repurposing land for roughly 21 gigawatts of solar and storage projects.

The Ripple Effect

The benefits extend beyond clean electricity. At Nevada's 690-megawatt Gemini solar plant, researchers are monitoring the recovery of the rare three-cornered milkvetch plant thriving in the cooler, shadier environment beneath the panels. Stressed land gets protection while producing power, creating opportunities for native species restoration and biodiversity improvements.

Solar power has become the most economical and quickest way to add kilowatts to the nation's grid. Declining costs, improving storage technology, and strong demand from communities and commercial customers keep driving expansion forward.

Renewables including wind, utility-scale solar, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal are expected to account for 26% of US electricity generation in 2026, rising to almost 28% by 2027. Add in all those rooftop panels and parking lot canopies, and the clean energy footprint grows even larger.

From landfills to farmland to the roof over your local grocery store, America's solar revolution is happening everywhere at once.