Amite Solar in Louisiana. Credit: Nextera Energy
A review by the Sun Day campaign of Data that have just been released by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Ferc) It appears that the combination of solar and wind was good for 91% of the new American electric-generating capacity that was added in the first half of 2025. Only in June Zonne -Energie offered 82% of the new capacity, making it the 22nd consecutive month in which Solar held the lead among all energy sources.
Solar was 82% of the new generating capacity in June and 75% in the first half of 2025
In his last monthly “Energy -infrastructure update” report (With data up to and including 30 June 2025) Ferc says that 63 “units” of solar energy of 2,439 MW were taken into use in June, accounting for more than 81.5% of all new generating capacity that was added during the month.
The new facilities include six solar farms with capacities of 199-MW or more: the 417.7 MW Ash Creek Solar Project and the 206.1-MW Mercury Solar & Storage project both in Hill County, Texas; The 300 MW Box Canyon Solar Project in Pinal County, Arizona; The 250 MW Morris Solar Project in Adair County, Missouri; The 200.0-MW Big Star Solar & Storage project in Bastrop County, Texas; and the 199.0-MW Speedway Solar project in Shelby County, Indiana.
The 14,567 MW to Utility scale (ie> 1 MW) Zonne-Zonne energy added during the first six months of 2025 was almost three-quarters (74.9%) of the total new capacity put into service by all sources.
Solar is now the largest source of new generating capacity that has been added every month for 22 consecutive months: September 2023-June 2025. During that period the total solar capacity on utility scale grew from 91.82 GW to 151.73 GW. No other energy source has added anything near that amount of new capacity. Wind, for example, expanded with 10.53 GW, while the natural gas increased by only 2.73 GW.
Solar, wind and biomass were added more than 91% of the new capacity in the first half of 2025
Between January and June, New Wind 3,139 MW delivered additional additions – almost double the new capacity of natural gas (1,727 MW). Wind thus accounted for 16.1% of all new capacity that was added during the first six months of 2025. In June alone, the 144 MW Crossover Wind project came in Cross County, Arkansas, online together with the 58.8 MW Moscow Wind Power Project in Somerset County, Maine.
For the first half of 2025, the combination of solar and wind (plus 3 MW Biomass) was 91.04% of the new capacity, while natural gas supplied only 8.88%; The balance came from oil (14 MW).
Solar + Wind is almost a quarter of the generating capacity in the field of utility scale; All combined renewable energy sources are almost a third
The share of solar scale at the level of the total installed capacity of (11.34%) is now almost the same as that of wind (11.83%). All in all, they are almost a fourth (23.17%) of the total available Utility-Scale-generating capacity of the US.
In addition, at least 25-30% of the American solar capacity in the form of small-scale (eg roof) systems are Not reflected in Ferc’s data. The inclusion of that extra solar capacity would bring the share of Solar + Wind to more than a quarter of the total of the nation.
With the absorption of hydropower (7.62%), biomass (1.07%) and geothermal (0.31%), renewable energy sources currently claim a share of 32.17%of the total generation capacity of the American utility scale. If small -scale solar capacity is included, renewable energy sources are now around a third of the total American -generating capacity.
Zonnee stays on the right track to become the second largest source of generating capacity
Ferc reports that the net “high probability” additives of solar energy between July 2025 and June 2028 a total of 92,660 MW-one amount more than four times the predicted net “high probability” additions for wind (23,136 MW), the second fastest growing source. In particular, the most recent three-year three-year predictions for growth by both solar and wind are the highest they have been in 2025 so far.
Ferc also provides net growth for hydropower (583 MW) and geothermal (92 MW) but a decrease of 131 MW in biomass capacity.
In summary, the net new additions of “high probability” would have a total of 116,340 MW through all the renewable energy sources in the next three years – ie most of the remaining time of the Trump government.
On the other hand, there is no new nuclear capacity in Ferc’s three -year prediction, while coal and oil are expected to contract with 25.017 MW and 1,572 MW respectively. Natural gas capacity would expand with 8,748 MW.
Adjustment of the various capacity factors of gas (59.7%), wind (34.3%) and solar scale on a utility bowl (23.4%), electricity generated by the expected new solar capacity that will be added in the coming three years would be more than four times larger than the New Natural2%of the Electricity, would be output, while the ignance capacity, would be output, Then that through gas.
If Ferc’s current “high probability” adds, Solar will be good by 1 July 2028 for more than a sixth (17.1%) of the installed generating capacity of the nation on the scale scale. Wind would offer an extra eighth (12.6%) of the total. Thus each would be larger than coal (12.1%) and considerably more than nuclear energy or hydropower (7.3%and 7.1%respectively).
Assuming the current growth rates will continue, the installed capacity of solar energy on utility scale will probably exceed that of the wind capacity and surpass that of coal by the end of next year. The installed solar capacity is already almost 50% larger than that of nuclear energy. Within two years, Solar must therefore be in second place for installed generating capacity – behind only natural gas behind.
The combined capacities of all renewable energy sources, including small-scale solar energy, can catch up with natural gas within three years
The mix of all renewable energy sources on Utility scale now adds approximately two percentage points to its share in the generating capacity every year. In that pace, by 1 July 2028, renewable energy sources would close more than three-eight (38.1%) of the total available installed-scale-generating capacity-fast the gap with natural gas (40.0%). Solar and wind would be more than three-quarters of the installed capacity of renewable sources. If those trend lines continue, the capacity on utility scale should surpass that of natural gas in 2029 or earlier.
As noted, however, Ferc’s data is not good for the capacity of small -scale solar systems. If that is processed within three years, the total American solar capacity (ie small-scale plus utility scale) could approach 350 GW. In turn, the mix of all renewable energy sources would then be around 40% of the total installed capacity – or more – while the share of natural gas would fall to around 38%.
Moreover, Ferc reports that there may be 230,770 MW of Netto new sun cutting in the current three -year pipeline, in addition to 68,627 MW New Wind, 7,923 MW New Waterbacht, 202 MW new geothermal and 27 MW new biomass. Netto new natural gascol capacity, on the other hand, potential in the three -year pipeline is only 30,251 MW. Consequently, the share of Renewables can be even greater against the early summer 2028.
Proof of the energy transition becomes stronger as the share of renewable energy sources in generating capacity continues to increase, while that of fossil fuels and core power is shrinking
A year ago, the mix of all renewable energy sources accounted for 29.95% of the total generating capacity. Only on solar energy was 8.99%, while the wind was 11.75%. In the course of twelve months – ie at the end of June 2025 – the share of Renewables had risen to 32.17% with solar energy by 11.34% and wind at 11.83%.
On the other hand, the share of natural gas was assumed from 43.32% to 42.34% because coals fell from 15.76% to 14.82% and the oil fell from 2.77% to 2.71%. Likewise, the share of core power in the generation capacity decreased from 8.04% to 7.80%.
“Despite the hostility to solar and wind shown by the Trump government and its Republican supporters in the congress, both technologies are moving forward,” noted the executive director of the Sun Day Campaign Ken Bossong. “In fact, Ferc’s latest data suggests that growth by renewable energy sources may accelerate.”
News item from the Sun Day campaign
