The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) has forecast 63GW of new utility-scale electricity-generating project additions in 2025, led by solar PV.
More than half (52%) is forecast to come from utility-scale solar PV with 32.5GW, which added a record 30GW in 2024, according to data from the EIA. These numbers would be similar to estimates from the American Clean Power Association (ACP) in November 2024, when it predicted the US to add 32GW of utility-scale solar PV in 2024.
Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis
Photovoltaics International is now included.
- Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
- In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
- Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
- Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
- Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
- Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual
Nearly a third of all solar PV additions in 2025 will come from Texas, with 11.6GW. This is nearly four times that of the second-placed state, California, which is forecast to add 2.9GW of solar PV. Both states will account for nearly half of all utility-scale solar PV additions in 2025.
This disparity between Texas and California will further accelerate the difference in installed utility-scale solar PV, with the former outpacing the latter in September 2024. According to the American Clean Power Association, at the end of the second quarter of 2024, Texas surpassed California as the leading state in installed utility-scale solar PV.
Five other states – Indiana, Arizona, Michigan, Florida and New York – are forecast to also add over 1GW of utility-scale PV in 2025, accounting for a combined 7.8GW of PV additions. Should these forecasts prove accurate, the US will install less new solar capacity in 2025 than in 2024, according to figures released by the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
Nearly a third of all additions from battery storage
The other technology forecast to lead utility-scale capacity installations in 2025 is battery storage.
The EIA forecasts a record 18.2GW of utility-scale battery storage added to the grid this year. This would be a nearly 8GW growth from the 10.3GW installations achieved in 2024.
Regarding the growth of energy storage in the US, the EIA highlighted its importance when paired with other renewables in order to provide a balance between supply and demand, while improving grid stability.
Data from market intelligence firm Rho Motion highlighted the US and Canada as the second largest region, behind China, in installed battery energy capacity last year. The US state of California alone installed half of the nearly 40GWh of battery energy in 2024, as covered by our sister site Energy-storage.news.
Moreover, the combined forecast for solar PV and battery storage puts both technologies contributing to 50.7GW of the total 63GW in 2025.
