The U.S. added 381 MW of new solar generation capacity in the second quarter of 2019, much less than the more than 1,100 MW added in the first quarter, data from S&P Global Market Intelligence shows.
A similar quarter-over-quarter decline occurred in 2018, when second quarter installs totaled 539 MW, less than half of the first quarter additions. The U.S. Energy Information Administration noted, however, that installations pick up toward the end of the year as developers try to qualify for federal tax incentives. In 2018, for instance, 31% of the new solar capacity was added in December, the agency said in an April report. Since 2010, the EIA said, one-third of all solar photovoltaic capacity has been added in December.
The new supply in the second quarter brings total solar capacity in the nation to 34,432 MW, up 14.3% from a year ago, though the amount excludes small solar projects such as residential and distributed generation projects.
![]() |
The largest solar project that began operating in the second quarter was the 150-MW North Rosamond Solar Array in Kern County, Calif., owned by Duke Energy Corp. subsidiary Duke Energy Renewables Solar. Duke acquired the project in April. The output is secured under a long-term contract with a California utility into 2034.
In Polk County, Fla., Tampa Electric Co., which is owned by Emera Inc., built the 50-MW Lake Hancock Solar facility, which supplies a portion of its output to the utility's community solar program.
Ten projects started operating in New York, which in June adopted a goal to have 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040. The largest of the bunch was the 20-MW Riverhead Solar Farm Project in Long Island. The project is majority-owned by Sustainable Power Group LLC, or sPower, a joint venture between AES Corp. and Alberta Investment Management Corp., with smaller shares owned by insurance firm ULLICO Inc. and asset manager StepStone Group LP. Nine smaller projects, totaling 19 MW, came online across the state.
![]() |
Three new projects were announced for development in the quarter, with the largest project in Texas. Austin-based developer SunChase Power LLC announced building the 100-MW San Bernard Solar Project for operation in 2021. In Florida, Tampa Electric released plans to build the 75-MW Little Manatee River Solar in Hillsborough County, one of a series of solar facilities the company is adding.
![]() |
The amount of new supply slated to come into service over the next five years totaled about 57,500 MW at the end of the second quarter, including projects in all stages of development. This total is roughly double the 28,048 MW identified as in development as of the second quarter of 2018.
Of that five-year total, 10,625 MW are in the latest stages, either advanced development or under construction. About half of the late-stage projects are in three states, California, with 1,835 MW; North Carolina, with 1,803 MW; and Texas, with 1,545 MW.
Among the largest projects in late-stage development is EDF Group's 500-MW Palen Solar Project in Riverside County, Calif., which is in advanced development and expected to be operating by the end of 2020. A portion of the output is secured under power purchase agreements, with 125 MW to Southern California Edison Co. and 100 MW to Shell Energy North America (US) LP, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell PLC.
![]() |
Another five large projects are in late-stage development in Texas and total 1,190 MW. Developers have been eyeing the Texas power market for new solar as wholesale power prices have seen enormous spikes in the summer due to low reserve margins. For example, Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. plans to start operating the 250-MW Phoebe Energy Project in Winkler County, west of Odessa, Texas, in September and sell all of the plant's power into the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.
![]() |
From a generation standpoint, solar supplied only about 1.8% of power consumed in the U.S. in the first half of this year, according to figures released Aug. 26 in the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Electric Power Monthly report. That picture may change as more states and cities target or consider procuring 100% clean energy in the longer term.
Research firm Wood Mackenzie had projected a total of 13,000 MW of new solar in 2019 from a mix of utility-scale and small-scale projects, according to a June report co-authored with the Solar Energy Industries Association.
![]() |






