Empire State Review Contributor 
New analysis of U.S. Energy Information Administration data shows that the country added 22,332 megawatts of generating capacity during the first six months of 2025. More than half of that total came from utility‑scale solar installations, with significant contributions from battery storage systems and onshore wind projects. Natural gas accounted for a much smaller share, while coal and nuclear saw no new capacity at all.
Utility‑scale solar was responsible for approximately 12,034 megawatts of the total, making it the single largest source of new electricity capacity in the period. Battery storage systems added around 5,900 megawatts, enabling grid flexibility and helping to manage solar and wind intermittency. Onshore wind contributed 2,697 megawatts. Natural gas added about 1,691 megawatts, and there were no new builds for coal or nuclear generation during this first half of the year.
The largest single project to come online was the 600 megawatt Hornet Solar plant in Swisher County, Texas, which began operations in April 2025. This project stands out both for its scale and its location in one of the country’s most active solar markets.
These figures come amid mounting clean energy momentum, even as recent federal developments, including shifts in environmental and tax policy, suggest a less favorable political climate for renewables. The Trump administration’s rollback of key regulations and winding down of tax credits have raised concerns among industry analysts. Nonetheless, many of the projects were conceived before the latest federal policy shifts took effect, allowing momentum to carry through the early part of 2025.
Broader forecasts from the Energy Information Administration indicate that solar, battery storage, and wind will continue to dominate capacity additions through the rest of the year. The agency projects roughly 63 gigawatts of new utility‑scale capacity will be added by year-end, the highest annual total since 2002. Of that, utility‑scale solar is expected to contribute about 32.5 gigawatts, battery energy storage about 18.2 gigawatts, and wind around 7.7 gigawatts. Together, they would account for roughly 93 percent of all projected additions in 2025.
That projection is consistent with earlier reporting that described how solar and batteries together would make up about 81 percent of all new capacity additions in 2025, with wind accounting for further shares. These trends reflect rapidly declining costs for solar panels, wind turbines, and lithium-ion batteries—often supported by federal incentives such as tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act—and strong corporate and utility interest in clean energy deployment.
Texas continues to lead the nation in solar capacity additions, with about 11.6 gigawatts projected in 2025, nearly 36 percent of national solar growth. California is next with roughly 2.9 gigawatts, followed by Indiana, Arizona, Michigan, Florida, and New York, each expected to add more than 1 gigawatt during the year.
Battery installations have surged as well. After a record 10.3 gigawatts of new battery storage in 2024, projected growth for 2025 is even more aggressive, with an expected 18.2 gigawatts of utility‑scale battery systems being brought online. Total U.S. battery capacity climbed from under 2 gigawatts in 2020 to nearly 30 gigawatts by April 2025. California alone accounts for roughly 13 gigawatts in operation, using storage to provide 26 percent of evening peak power on its grid during recent heatwaves. Texas follows with about 8.2 gigawatts of battery resources in place.
Wind gains have been more modest but still meaningful. The Energy Information Administration forecasts about 7.7 gigawatts of new wind capacity in 2025, up from just 5.1 gigawatts in 2024, the lowest wind deployment since 2014. Texas, Wyoming, and Massachusetts are expected to account for nearly half the wind growth. In Massachusetts, the Vineyard Wind 1 and Rhode Island’s Revolution Wind projects, with capacities of 800 megawatts and 715 megawatts respectively, are set to come online later in the year.
Natural gas additions remain modest by comparison, around 4.4 gigawatts is planned in 2025, including both simple-cycle combustion turbines and combined-cycle units. Major projects include the 840 megawatt Intermountain Power Project in Utah and a 678.7 megawatt plant in Louisiana. The Utah project is intended to replace about 1,800 megawatts of retiring coal capacity scheduled for shutdown in July 2025.
The absence of any new coal or nuclear capacity in the first half underscores their rapidly declining role in new power generation. Earlier reporting indicated planned coal retirements of about 11 gigawatts, or six percent of existing coal capacity, in 2025, and another 4 gigawatts in 2026.
In terms of generation volume, renewable power generation will grow significantly in 2025. Solar generation is expected to rise 75 percent from 2023 levels to reach approximately 286 billion kilowatt‑hours, while wind generation is projected to reach about 476 billion kilowatt‑hours, up roughly 11 percent over the same period. Solar and wind combined surpassed coal generation in the U.S. for the first time in 2024, accounting for 17 percent of total generation versus coal’s 15 percent. Natural gas, however, remains the single-largest source, generating roughly 42 to 43 percent of U.S. electricity.
Still, analysts caution that recent federal rollbacks—specifically the winding down of the solar investment tax credit and production tax credits for wind—could undercut future growth. A new tax law passed by the Trump administration significantly shortened the eligibility window for projects to qualify, and the Department of the Interior has implemented new reviews and restrictions on regulatory filings related to renewables, even on private lands. These policy changes may slow momentum after 2025, potentially reducing clean energy additions by up to 59 percent by 2035 and driving up electricity costs if utilities pivot toward more natural gas reliance.
Despite that uncertainty, the first half of 2025 demonstrates that renewable energy deployment remains robust, continuing to outpace fossil fuels in new capacity additions by a wide margin. With over 80 percent of capacity coming from solar, storage, and wind, the U.S. power sector is clearly leaning into a cleaner, more flexible future—so long as financing, project pipelines, and regulatory stability hold. The Hornet Solar plant exemplifies both the scale and pace of this build‑out, while battery systems across states like California and Texas show how storage is becoming essential to grid operation.
Looking ahead, the remainder of 2025 will test whether federal policy shifts slow growth or if clean energy deployment continues on its record-setting track. For now, the story is clear: clean energy is not just leading the additions—it is reshaping how America powers its grid.
