The US Plans A Record 64 GW Of New Power Capacity

 

The US plans a record 64 GW of new power capacity, with solar accounting for 33.3 GW and battery storage for 18.3 GW, leading the clean energy transition.

 

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicts that the US will add a record 64 GW of new power capacity in 2025, almost all from zero-carbon sources. Solar will lead the way with 33.3 GW, breaking the previous record of 58 GW in 2002, and this time, clean energy, not natural gas, will dominate.

 

Specifically, the EIA report shows that solar is expected to add 33.3 GW, battery storage 18.3 GW, wind 7.8 GW, and natural gas 4.7 GW. Installation progress is accelerating, with only 12 GW of new solar added in the first half of the year, but 21 GW is expected to be deployed in the second half. This is primarily due to seasonal factors in installation and a changing policy environment. In particular, after uncertainty about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act has subsided, project timelines have accelerated to meet the tight deadline for federal clean energy tax credits.

 

Geographically, Texas saw the largest increase in solar capacity, adding 3.2 GW in the first half of the year (accounting for 27%), with another 9.7 GW planned for the second half. Battery storage also saw 5.9 GW (26%) added in the first half of the year, primarily in Arizona and California. Texas plans to add 7.0 GW of battery storage by 2025. Furthermore, of the 8.7 GW of fossil fuel capacity originally scheduled for retirement, 3.6 GW have been delayed or canceled. These include the 1.3 GW Brandon Shores coal-fired power plant and the 0.7 GW Herbert A. Wagner oil-fired power plant in Maryland, as well as the 0.9 GW V. H. Braunig natural gas-fired power plant in Texas. Coal retirements account for 71% of these retirements, while natural gas retirements account for 19%.