US Clean Power Installations Hit Record High In Q3 2025, Driven By Solar And Battery Storage

The United States clean power industry recorded a historic performance in the third quarter of 2025, adding 11.7 GW of new capacity. This was the strongest third quarter ever for clean energy installations in the country, driven mainly by large additions in solar power and battery storage. With this growth, total clean power installations for the year reached 30.9 gigawatts by the end of September, already crossing earlier annual records. The strong pace has put 2025 on track to become the most productive year so far for the U.S. clean energy sector.

Utility-scale solar power continued to lead the expansion. It made up about 51 percent of all new capacity added during the quarter, with nearly 6 gigawatts of solar projects coming online. As a result, total operational solar capacity in the U.S. crossed 146 gigawatts. One of the key projects commissioned during the quarter was the 525 MW Faraday B Solar project in Utah. The project includes around 1.2 million solar panels and was completed in less than two years, showing faster execution timelines for large-scale solar developments.

Battery energy storage also reached an important milestone during the quarter. Developers added 4.7 gigawatts of storage capacity, taking the total operational battery storage capacity in the U.S. beyond 40 gigawatts. This marked a 32 percent increase in storage installations compared to the same period last year. Texas hosted the largest battery storage project commissioned in the quarter, the 359 MW GulfStar Storage project, which is co-located with a large solar facility. The growth in storage reflects the increasing need to balance power supply and demand as renewable energy penetration rises.

Land-based wind power showed signs of recovery during the quarter, with more than 1 gigawatt of new capacity added. Although wind installations have been slower in recent periods, year-to-date additions in 2025 are ahead of 2024 levels. The industry is also moving toward larger projects, as the average size of wind farms commissioned this year increased to 242 MW.

Texas remained the leading state for clean energy additions, accounting for 39 percent of all new U.S. clean power capacity in the third quarter. This was mainly due to its rapid growth in battery storage projects. Other states that performed well during the quarter included California, Utah, and New Mexico. Overall, the U.S. now operates about 344 GW of clean power capacity, which is enough to supply electricity to nearly 83 million homes.

However, the report also pointed to emerging challenges. The total clean power project pipeline reached a record 186 GW, but grew by only 1 percent during the quarter. More notably, clean energy offtake announcements declined by 38 percent year-to-date. This trend suggests growing concerns around regulatory hurdles, policy uncertainty, and delays in grid interconnections. While current installations remain strong, these signals indicate that the pace of clean energy development could slow in the coming quarters if these issues are not addressed.