Image: TotalEnergies
Solar will account for more than 72% of America’s electricity generation capacity added by 2025, with another 16% coming from wind, according to newly released data from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) analyzed by the SUN DAY Campaign.
When it comes to new energy additions, solar has led among all energy sources for 28 consecutive months. Solar energy installed in use now exceeds wind, hydro and nuclear power per capita. In addition, FERC expects solar to add another 86 gigawatts (GW) over the next three years, during which time solar will surpass coal.
Solar was 83% of new generation capacity in December
In its latest monthly “Energy Infrastructure Update” report (with data through December 31, 2025), FERC said 17 solar units totaling 993 megawatts (MW) were commissioned in December, accounting for 83.2% of all new generating capacity installed that month.
710 solar power units (> 1 MW) are included in 2025 totaling 26,556 MW and account for 72.6% of the total new installed in services by all sources.
Solar is now the largest source of new generating capacity added every month for 28 months straight, from September 2023 to December 2025. During that time, the total number of solar installations increased from 91.82 GW to 164.53 GW. No other energy source has added anything close to that amount of new energy. For example, wind was expanded by 13.40 GW, while the increase in natural gas was only 6.83 GW.
As a result, solar power generation is 164.5 GW, or 12.2% of the total, and exceeds wind power (161.1 GW, or 11.9%), nuclear power (104.39 GW, or 7.7%), and hydropower (102.7%).
Wind power additions by 2025 exceed natural gas
In 2025, new wind provided 5,763 MW of additional energy – an increase of 26% compared to 2024 and more than the new energy provided by natural gas (4,179 MW). Wind is responsible for 15.7% of all new energy added by 2025.
Renewables accounted for 88% of new energy added by 2025
By 2025, wind and solar (combined by 4 MW of hydropower and 6 MW of biomass) accounted for 88.4% of new generation capacity, while natural gas added 11.4%. The majority of the increase in grid power comes from oil (66 MW) and waste heat (17 MW).
Solar + wind is a quarter of the US’s renewable energy
Combined, wind and solar account for 24.1% of the total renewable energy used in the US.
In addition, more than one-fourth of US solar energy is in small systems (eg, rooftops) that are not reflected in FERC data. Adding that additional solar power will bring the share provided by solar + wind to over 25% of the US total.
Including hydroelectricity (7.5%), biomass (1.1%), and geothermal (0.3%), renewables currently account for 33.0% of total US generation. If solar power is included, renewables now account for more than a third of the US’s electricity generation.
Solar is on track to become the No. 2
FERC reports that the “maximum potential” addition of solar power over the next three years (January 2026 to December 2028) is 86,126 MW – more than four times the “maximum addition” of wind (19,821 MW), the second fastest growing source. In addition, the average annual growth from solar and wind in the next three years (35,316 MW per year) would be exactly the same as the previous two years (35,382 MW per year), suggesting that there will be no reduction despite the hostile policies of the Trump administration.
FERC also foresees growth in hydropower (554 MW) and geothermal (102 MW) but a decrease of 116 MW in biomass power.
Meanwhile, natural gas power would grow much less – 8,154 MW, and nuclear power would increase only 335 MW, while coal is expected to decrease by a large power of 40,828 MW, and oil is expected to decrease by 1,590 MW.
Combined, the new “high capacity” additions of all renewable energy sources over the next three years – the remainder of the Trump administration – would total 106,487 MW. On the other hand, the installed capacity of fossil fuels and nuclear power combined will decrease by 33,929 MW.
If FERC’s three-year forecast comes true, by January 1, 2029, solar energy will account for 17.6% of America’s electricity generation, more than any other source except natural gas (40.6%). Moreover, the combined energy of all renewable energy sources is about 39%. The installation of small solar, assuming it maintains its share of 25% of total solar, could push the share of solar to over 20% and of all renewables to over 40%, while the share of natural gas will drop below 39%.
In fact, the numbers of renewable resources can be much higher.
FERC notes that “net additions” (net) for solar over the next three years could be as high as 240,152 MW, while wind would be 64,669 MW. Hydro net additions could reach 9,513 MW, while geothermal and biomass could increase by 575 MW and 44 MW, respectively. Such growth from renewable sources will greatly exceed that of natural gas (36,628 MW).
“FERC’s data confirms that very strong growth in solar and wind power generation dominated the first year of the Trump administration,” said SUN DAY Campaign executive director Ken Bossong. “More importantly, the trend continues over the next three years, despite the White House’s efforts to change course.”
If you’ve ever thought about going solar, make it easy by finding a reliable, trustworthy utility near you that offers competitive pricing on the way out. EnergySage. It has hundreds of pre-installed solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get the best quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t receive sales calls until you choose an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your unique solar quotes are easy to compare online, and you’ll have access to unbiased Energy Consultants to help you every step of the way. Start here.
FTC: We use auto affiliate links that earn money. Again.
#FERC #Renewables #power #generation