US added record 12.4GW of utility-scale solar last year despite module availability issues – ACP

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
An operational PV plant in Texas, the leading state for utility-scale solar deployment last year. Image: Lightsource bp.

Utility-scale solar deployment in the US reached a new high last year despite scores of projects being pushed back, in part due to a lack of regulatory certainty impacting the availability of modules, according to the American Clean Power (ACP) Association.

Solar installs jumped 19% year-on-year to 12,364MW, bringing the country’s total utility-scale solar capacity up to around 60.6GW, the trade body said in its Clean Power Quarterly 2021 Q4 report.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

Not ready to commit yet?
  • 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

Or continue reading this article for free

Texas topped solar installations in 2021, with 3,774MW added, followed by California in a distant second with 1,154MW, Florida (955MW), Virginia (873MW) and Georgia (693MW).

Despite the rise in installs, PV plants totalling more than 6GW were pushed back beyond their expected commissioning in 2021, with supply chain constraints and trade barriers the major culprits headwinds that ACP expects to continue to hamper the growth of the industry “for the foreseeable future”.

With the US’s solar pipeline in Q4 jumping 11% sequentially, the country now has more than 66GW of utility-scale PV under construction or in advanced development.

Nonetheless, the report said supply chain issues and trade barriers continue to threaten to significantly delay or even lead to the cancellation of projects, especially those unable to take delivery of modules due to product detainment at ports.

Last year, the US banned the imports of silica-based products made by Hoshine Silicon Industry in response to allegations of the use of forced labour in the Chinese region of Xinjiang. Some solar module shipments have since been detained at US ports.

Combined with wind and utility-scale energy storage installations, a total of 27.7GW of capacity was added in the US last year, meaning the country has surpassed 200GW of deployed clean power.

However, ACP said last year’s clean power deployment was only 45% of what’s required to stay on track for an emissions-free power sector.

Heather Zichal, ACP CEO, urged Congress to take action to create a clean energy future that will help create more jobs and combat the climate crisis. “Surpassing over 200GW of clean energy is a significant milestone for the United States and shows that we can achieve even more with strong public policy support for the industry.”

Read Next

August 28, 2025
Venture capital firm Pacific Channel has launched Fund V, which targets 10GW of solar, wind, and energy storage in New Zealand.
August 27, 2025
Long-term procurement decisions from the US solar industry could support US solar manufacturing, regardless of changes to federal tax credits, PV Tech has heard.
August 27, 2025
Tracker manufacturer FTC Solar has signed a 1GW solar PV tracker and software supply agreement with engineering firm Levona Renewables.
August 27, 2025
Spanish infrastructure provider Ferrovial Energy will build a 250MW solar photovoltaic facility in Milam County, Texas.
August 26, 2025
Investment in utility-scale solar fell by 19% in the first half of 2025, as global investment in all renewable energy projects grew by 10%.
August 26, 2025
India installed 14.3GW of new utility-scale solar capacity in the first half (H1) of 2025, marking a 49% increase year-on-year.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines