U.S. Utility-Scale PV To Grow 60% YoY in 2026 EIA Predicts Explosive Solar Growth

The U.S. solar industry is projected to experience explosive growth in 2026, with utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) installations expected to surge by 60% year-on-year (YoY), setting a new market record. This robust expansion is driven by strong policy support, declining technology costs, and growing demand for clean energy, according to forecasts from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

EIA predicts that the United States will add 86GW of utility-scale generating capacity in 2026, with solar accounting for 51% of this total, battery storage 28%, and wind energy 14%. This represents a historic expansion of the U.S. power grid, nearly doubling the 53GW of new capacity added in 2025-the largest single-year increase since 2002.

Preliminary estimates indicate that utility-scale solar installations in the U.S. will reach 43.4GW in 2026, a 60% increase compared to 27.2GW in 2025. Notably, 2025 already marked a milestone for U.S. solar, with the total installed capacity hitting 53GW and setting a new annual record since 2002. With the projected 43.4GW addition in 2026, the U.S. solar sector is poised to break this record once again, cementing its role as a leading driver of the nation's energy transition.

From a regional perspective, Texas remains the core hub for U.S. solar development, with approximately 40% of all planned new utility-scale PV installations concentrated in the state-equivalent to around 17.4GW of the total 43.4GW planned additions. Arizona and California each account for 6% of the planned capacity, while Michigan contributes 5%, highlighting a geographically diversified but Texas-centric growth pattern. Texas' dominance is attributed to its abundant sunshine, extensive land availability, and well-developed grid infrastructure, which make it an ideal location for large-scale solar projects.

The EIA specifically highlighted the Tehuacana Creek 1 Solar and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project, located in Navarro County, Texas, as the largest solar-related project expected to come online in 2026. Developed by Solar Proponent LLC, the project features 837MW of solar capacity paired with 418MW of battery storage, designed to store electricity generated by the solar facility and enhance grid stability. The project's components include solar modules, inverters, transformers, and a comprehensive monitoring system, with construction planned to support reliable, long-term operation.

This surge in utility-scale solar aligns with a broader trend of renewable energy dominance in U.S. capacity additions. In 2026, renewable energy and energy storage are expected to account for 93% of all new utility-scale capacity, with natural gas additions totaling just 6.3GW-further underscoring the nation's shift toward low-carbon power sources. The growth is also supported by the increasing integration of solar and storage, with nearly half of new storage projects paired with solar facilities to mitigate intermittency and shift power generation to peak demand periods.