US solar power surpasses 300 gigawatts, powers millions of homes
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The United States now has 299.4 gigawatts of operating solar capacity, enough to power over 50 million homes. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie reported that the country installed 11.4 gigawatts of new solar generation in the second quarter of 2026, a 45% increase from the same time last year.
Utility-scale installations drove this growth, with developers working to meet deadlines for federal tax credits.
Solar power now provides nearly 9% of total US electricity, a substantial increase from less than 1% a decade ago. This expansion has created over 280,000 jobs in the solar industry and attracted $69.1 billion in private investment in 2025. Notably, states won by the former president in 2024 accounted for the majority of both existing and new solar capacity during the first half of 2026.
California and Texas lead the nation in total solar capacity, followed by Florida, Arizona, and North Carolina. Beyond electricity generation, investment in US solar manufacturing has reached over $18 billion, with facilities now operating in 43 states. Analysts forecast continued growth, predicting that cumulative US solar deployment will reach 769 gigawatts by 2036.
