Clean Power Capacity Jumps 45%
Solar, wind and battery storage projects drove a record-setting quarter as the U.S. clean energy development pipeline continued to expand.
- By Chelsey Arries
- September 08, 2026
Developers added a record 17.1 gigawatts of utility-scale clean power capacity in the second quarter, a 45% increase from the same period in 2025, according to the American Clean Power Association.
The additions brought cumulative U.S. clean power capacity to nearly 388 GW, which ACP estimates is enough to power more than 83 million homes. Developers brought 164 utility-scale solar, battery storage and wind projects online during the quarter.
Utility-scale solar accounted for 7.4 GW of new capacity, while land-based wind contributed nearly 5 GW and battery storage added 4.7 GW.
Land-based wind recorded its strongest second quarter, driven in part by Pattern Energy’s 3.65 GW SunZia Wind project in New Mexico. ACP identified SunZia as the largest land-based wind project built in the United States. The project is expected to supply enough electricity for up to 1 million homes in the Western U.S.
New Mexico led states in new clean power capacity during the quarter, adding 3.6 GW primarily through the SunZia project. The result ended Texas’ two-and-a-half-year run as the state with the most quarterly capacity additions.
Battery storage also surpassed 50 GW of installed capacity nationwide, reaching nearly 53 GW.
The clean power development pipeline climbed to a record 205 GW, up 11% from the second quarter of 2025. That total includes 111 GW of utility-scale solar and 56 GW of battery storage.
Clean power procurement reached 14.5 GW during the quarter, a 23% year-over-year increase. Power purchase agreement announcements also reached a record level for the first half of the year, according to ACP.
Project delays remained a factor during the quarter. More than 11.6 GW of expected clean power capacity was delayed, while the land-based wind development pipeline declined 4%.
