New federal data shows that solar and batteries will make up nearly 80% of all new utility-scale energy additions planned for the U.S. electric grid this year.
The US power grid is on track for a record year, with developers planning to add 86 GW of new utility-scale capacity in 2026, according to the latest data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Clean energy technologies are expected to dominate the expansion, with solar and battery storage accounting for the vast majority of planned additions.
According to the April 2026 Electric Power Monthly report, the energy transition is accelerating as fossil fuel capacity continues to decline net. Renewable energy generation increased 10.8% in the first two months of the year and amounts to 26% of total US electricity generation.
Utility-scale solar remains the largest source of new capacity, with 43.4 GW planned for 2026 – a 60% increase over 2025 installations. Texas continues to lead as the nation’s solar hub, accounting for 40% of all new utility-scale projects. Notable additions include the 837 MW Tehuacana Creek 1 project in Texas, which is expected to be the largest solar PV facility to come online this year.
Small-scale solar energy also continues to grow steadily. By February 2026, the US had exceeded 60 GW of total small-scale capacity, with more than 6 GW added in the past 12 months.
The deployment of battery energy storage is keeping pace with the expansion of solar energy to support grid reliability and manage intermittent energy. Developers plan to add a record 24 GW of utility-scale storage by 2026, up significantly from 15 GW last year.
By the end of the first quarter of 2027, the EIA expects total U.S. battery storage capacity to increase from 44.6 GW to more than 67 GW. This growth is highly concentrated in a few states, led by Texas with 12.9 GW (53% of new capacity), followed by California with 3.4 GW (14%) and Arizona with 3.2 GW (13%).
Major storage projects planned for 2026 include the 621 MW Lunis Creek BESS in Jackson, Texas, and the 500 MW Bellefield 2 Solar & Energy Storage Farm in Kern County, California.
After several years of slower growth, wind capacity expansion is expected to more than double by 2026, with a planned 11.8 GW. This includes two major offshore projects: the 800 MW Vineyard Wind 1 and the 715 MW Revolution Wind. In the West, hydropower generation is expected to increase 6% this year, supported by strong reservoir levels in California and the Northwest due to favorable winter precipitation.
As renewables continue to grow, the EIA expects the combined share of solar and wind generation to exceed 20% of the U.S. electricity mix by early 2027, while natural gas’ share of capacity is expected to fall below 39%.
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