US SOLAR TRACKER: Solar leads Q1 clean energy capacity additions, 5.7 GW added

Energy transition highlights: Our editors and analysts bring together the biggest stories in the industry this week, from renewables to storage to carbon prices.

Solar-powered generation led the US in first-quarter 2025 clean energy additions, accounting for 63.4% of renewable installations, as Texas continued to dominate while output increased in all areas of the country.

The US added 5.743 GW of solar capacity in Q1, up 32.6% from a year ago and an increase of 4.4% from the end of 2024, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. Twenty-nine states added solar generation in Q1 and 41 states have projects under construction or in advanced development.

“The trend of solar leading new capacity additions is likely to continue through 2025 and beyond,” said Cinthya Pena, a senior market analyst with S&P Global Commodity Insights. “This trend reflects solar’s cost competitiveness, scalability, modular design and faster deployment timelines compared to other technologies.”

In contrast, storage adoption still faces challenges, she added.

“Its revenue structure is complex, and while the economics are improving, storage has not yet reached cost parity in all markets,” Pena said.

Notably, as of Q1 2025, approximately 34% of new utility-scale solar capacity was planned as hybrid, paired with battery storage, indicating a growing market maturity for solar-plus-storage projects, Pena said.

SPGlobal.com

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