Solar continues ‘domination’ of new energy capacity additions, per FERC data
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Summary
<p>Solar energy has held the top spot in new energy capacity additions for more than two straight years, according to a new Energy Infrastructure Update by the Federal Energy Regulatory... <a class="view-article" href="https://solarbuildermag.com/utility-scale-solar/solar-continues-domination-of-new-energy-capacity-additions-per-ferc-data/">View Article</a></p> <p>-- Solar Builder magazine</p>
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<p>Solar energy has held the top spot in new energy capacity additions for more than two straight years, according to a <a href="https://cms.ferc.gov/media/energy-infrastructure-update-november-2025">new Energy Infrastructure Update</a> by the <a href="https://ferc.gov/">Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)</a>. Accounting for 72% of new American energy capacity in November 2025, it seems solar is unlikely to give up that spot any time soon. </p>
<p>A new review of the FERC data by the <a href="https://www.sunday.earth/">SUN DAY Campaign</a> and executive director Ken Bossong says solar is now on track to surpass coal capacity before the end of 2026. Additionally, solar and wind accounted for 93% of November 2025’s total energy additions, by far the two largest renewable energy sources in America.</p>
<p>Solar has held the top spot since September 2023. In light of the new FERC report, Bossong and the campaign forecast <a href="https://solarbuildermag.com/news/eia-solar-smashes-records-in-2025-now-topping-wind-hydro-and-coal-in-key-months-as-renewables-surge-past-26-of-u-s-generation/">wind and solar power</a> to add another 106 GW of energy capacity over the course of the next three years.</p>
<p>“Coupled with recent court decisions to lift ‘pauses’ on offshore wind construction, the continued dominant growth by solar and wind should send a clear wake-up call to the Trump Administration,” Bossong says. “Renewable energy is the future and will not be stopped by the <a href="https://solarbuildermag.com/projects/trumps-one-big-beautiful-bill-act-reshapes-u-s-energy-landscape/">short-sighted policies</a> emanating from the White House.”</p>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-solar-s-trump-card-utility-scale-options">Solar’s trump card: utility-scale options</h3>
<p>Released last November, FERC’s latest report says that solar added nearly 2.9 GW of capacity in November alone, good for 38 “units” of new power. November was solar energy’s second-best month of the year for new capacity, behind January 2025.</p>
<p>Solar’s late-year additions include 13 projects over 100 MW each, Bossong says. The 484.6-MW Parliament Solar Project just outside of Houston and the 256.3-MW Stampede Solar & Storage Expansion Project on the outskirts of Dallas both came online in November 2025.</p>
<p>Those <a href="https://solarbuildermag.com/utility-scale-solar/sma-america-cep-expand-partnership-for-power-station-integration/">utility-scale projects</a>—plus about 25.5 GW more in utility-scale capacity throughout the year—have served as one of solar’s greatest assets during its 27-month-and-counting run at the top, Bossong and the SUN DAY Campaign say.</p>
<p>“(Between September 2023 and November 2025), total utility-scale solar capacity grew from 91.82 GW to 163.44 GW,” the SUN DAY Campaign says. “No other energy source added anything close to that amount of new capacity. Wind, for example, expanded by 13.20 GW while natural gas’ net increase was just 6.83 GW.”</p>
<p>At just over 12%, utility-scale solar now accounts for nearly one eighth of the U.S.’s total installed generating capacity, Bossong says. Combined with wind, solar makes up nearly a quarter of the country’s installed utility-scale capacity at about 24%.</p>
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-bright-future-for-utility-scale-renewables">A bright future for utility-scale renewables</h3>
<p>FERC’s latest report forecasts major growth in the renewable energy sector over the next three years, with solar continuing to lead the pack. </p>
<p>The commission reports that solar’s “high probability” capacity additions could total over 86.1 GW between December 2025 and November 2028. This number, the SUN DAY Campaign says, would more than quadruple wind’s predicted additions of about 19.8 GW, and leave other renewables even further in the metaphorical dust.</p>
<p>Still, FERC has forecasted <a href="https://solarbuildermag.com/canada/solar-to-complement-canadas-hydroelectric-upgrades/">growth for hydropower</a> and geothermal energy in the next three years, and a dip of more than 116 MW for biomass energy capacity. Total utility-scale additions from renewables could account for total just under 106.5 GW throughout the rest of the second Trump administration, with utility-scale solar making up 17.2% of the country’s total energy generation.</p>
<p>The non-renewable side of things aren’t looking quite as rosy, the FERC reports. Natural gas, expected to be the nation’s leading energy generator at about 40.1%, is expected to see a growth of just over 10 GW.</p>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-taking-everything-into-account">Taking everything into account</h3>
<p>Zooming out of the realm of high-probability utility-scale energy, the numbers look even better for renewable energy across the U.S. FERC’s “all additions” figure for utility-scale solar tells a staggering story, with totals as high as about 225.8 GW of added power in solar alone. </p>
<p>Before adding wind, hydropower, or geothermal additions, that forecasted number represents a 542% increase over expected natural gas additions, which total around 32.2 GW.</p>
<p>Inclusion of small scale solar like residential projects could push solar energy’s total share of capacity to 20% of the American energy grid by late 2028, FERC reports. That is, of course, assuming that small-scale projects retain their 25% share of all solar over the next three years. Conversely, natural gas’s share would drop to about 38% of the grid, as all renewables account for over 41%.</p>
<p>-- Solar Builder magazine</p>