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Released February 25, 2025 | SUGAR LAND
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The forecasts are in from the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) latest Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Indicator report, and all signs point to record power generation additions in the U.S. this year. The EIA expects 63 gigawatts (GW) of new utility-scale power additions to be installed in 2025, a nearly 30% increase from 2024, when 48.6 GW of new capacity was installed.
Solar and battery storage projects are expected to account for 81% of new capacity additions, with lesser amounts of new power from wind (12%) and natural gas (7%).
Solar Power
Last year, power developers added 30 GW of utility-scale solar power to the U.S. energy mix, accounting for 61% of capacity additions. This year, the EIA expects even more to be added -- 32.5 GW of new solar, accounting for about 52% of this year's additions. Texas significantly leads other states in planned solar additions, with an expected 11.6 GW of new capacity this year, followed by California in a distant second with 2.9 GW.
One of Texas' largest projects comes from the south of the state, in the border town of Laredo. There, Hecate Energy LLC (Chicago, Illinois) has appointed engineering, construction and procurement (EPC) contractor Primoris Renewable Energy (Aurora, Colorado) to install more than 1.3 million solar panels and 216 inverters. The work kicked off late last year and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, when the facility will begin providing 514 megawatts (MW) of energy. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
California is expected to see power from one of its largest solar projects, AES Corporation's (NYSE:AES) (Arlington, Virginia) Bellefield I solar farm, in the third quarter of this year. Primoris also is handling EPC work on this project, which is being built across 8,300 acres in Kern County. Subscribers can click here for more details of the project.
Battery Energy Storage
The EIA expects developers to add 18.2 GW of battery storage this year, accounting for about 29% of new U.S. capacity additions. While there are some standalone and wind-associated battery energy storage systems (BESS), most that are being built in the U.S. these days are associated with solar power. Solar panels charge the batteries (usually lithium-ion) during the day, when the sun is shining, and the batteries release their stored power at night, when the solar panels aren't providing generation. BESS systems frequently have power output rated as equivalent or less than their accompanying solar generation.
The Bellefield I solar installation in California will feature a 500-MW BESS system, capable of providing energy at maximum output for four hours. Construction on the BESS started at the same time as the solar facility, in mid-2023, and the system, which uses lithium-ion technology from Tesla Incorporated (NASDAQ:TSLA) (Austin, Texas), is expected to be completed in the third quarter, around the same time as the primary solar generation portion of the plant. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.
A few standalone BESS facilities also are in the works, such as GridStor's (Portland, Oregon) 220-MW Hidden Lakes BESS in Galveston, Texas, which is expected to go online this summer. Subscribers can click here to learn more.
Wind
While wind represents a significant source of power that is being added to the U.S., its place in the U.S. new-build segment has been diminishing. The EIA reports that last year, 5.1 GW of wind power was added in the U.S., the lowest since 2014. This year, the agency expects about 7.7 GW of wind power to be added, accounting for about 12% of new generation, with Texas, Wyoming and Massachusetts accounting for nearly half of these additions.
While offshore wind installations represent the largest individual capacity additions, this segment of the wind industry faces severe headwinds from the Trump administration, which has halted all offshore wind leases and permits. Nevertheless, a couple of offshore wind facilities will reach completion this year, including the Revolution windfarm off the Rhode Island coast, where 65 turbines, each rated at 11 MW, are expected to be situated by the end of this year to provide 715 MW of aggregate generation. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.
One of the largest onshore wind installations in the U.S. is underway in Albany County, Wyoming, where renewable energy giant Invenergy LLC (Chicago, Illinois) is installing 75 turbines rated at 5.3 MW each for the Phase II construction of its Rock Creek windfarm. EPC firm Blattner Energy Incorporated (Avon, Minnesota) is expected to finish work later this year, when nearly 400 MW of emissions-free wind generation will become available. Combined with 190 MW of wind power built previously in Phase I, the Rock Creek windfarm will be able to generate about 590 MW of power, although each phase of the projects connects to different substations. Subscribers can click here for more details of the project.
Natural Gas
Showing that not all new generation results in a net power increase, Intermountain Power Agency (Jordan, Utah) is building 800 MW of natural gas-fired power next to its retiring coal-fired Intermountain Power Plant. The coal-fired plant is slated to retire this year, taking about 1,900 MW of power with it, due to a mandate from California (where 98% of the plant's power goes) to remove coal-fired power from its generation mix. There has been talk of keeping the coal-fired units open to serve Utah, but this appears to have gained little traction over the three months since it was discussed in the Utah legislature. The new plant will be able to burn up to 30% hydrogen in addition to natural gas, further reducing emissions. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
Solar and battery storage projects are expected to account for 81% of new capacity additions, with lesser amounts of new power from wind (12%) and natural gas (7%).
Solar Power
Last year, power developers added 30 GW of utility-scale solar power to the U.S. energy mix, accounting for 61% of capacity additions. This year, the EIA expects even more to be added -- 32.5 GW of new solar, accounting for about 52% of this year's additions. Texas significantly leads other states in planned solar additions, with an expected 11.6 GW of new capacity this year, followed by California in a distant second with 2.9 GW.
One of Texas' largest projects comes from the south of the state, in the border town of Laredo. There, Hecate Energy LLC (Chicago, Illinois) has appointed engineering, construction and procurement (EPC) contractor Primoris Renewable Energy (Aurora, Colorado) to install more than 1.3 million solar panels and 216 inverters. The work kicked off late last year and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, when the facility will begin providing 514 megawatts (MW) of energy. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
California is expected to see power from one of its largest solar projects, AES Corporation's (NYSE:AES) (Arlington, Virginia) Bellefield I solar farm, in the third quarter of this year. Primoris also is handling EPC work on this project, which is being built across 8,300 acres in Kern County. Subscribers can click here for more details of the project.
Battery Energy Storage
The EIA expects developers to add 18.2 GW of battery storage this year, accounting for about 29% of new U.S. capacity additions. While there are some standalone and wind-associated battery energy storage systems (BESS), most that are being built in the U.S. these days are associated with solar power. Solar panels charge the batteries (usually lithium-ion) during the day, when the sun is shining, and the batteries release their stored power at night, when the solar panels aren't providing generation. BESS systems frequently have power output rated as equivalent or less than their accompanying solar generation.
The Bellefield I solar installation in California will feature a 500-MW BESS system, capable of providing energy at maximum output for four hours. Construction on the BESS started at the same time as the solar facility, in mid-2023, and the system, which uses lithium-ion technology from Tesla Incorporated (NASDAQ:TSLA) (Austin, Texas), is expected to be completed in the third quarter, around the same time as the primary solar generation portion of the plant. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.
A few standalone BESS facilities also are in the works, such as GridStor's (Portland, Oregon) 220-MW Hidden Lakes BESS in Galveston, Texas, which is expected to go online this summer. Subscribers can click here to learn more.
Wind
While wind represents a significant source of power that is being added to the U.S., its place in the U.S. new-build segment has been diminishing. The EIA reports that last year, 5.1 GW of wind power was added in the U.S., the lowest since 2014. This year, the agency expects about 7.7 GW of wind power to be added, accounting for about 12% of new generation, with Texas, Wyoming and Massachusetts accounting for nearly half of these additions.
While offshore wind installations represent the largest individual capacity additions, this segment of the wind industry faces severe headwinds from the Trump administration, which has halted all offshore wind leases and permits. Nevertheless, a couple of offshore wind facilities will reach completion this year, including the Revolution windfarm off the Rhode Island coast, where 65 turbines, each rated at 11 MW, are expected to be situated by the end of this year to provide 715 MW of aggregate generation. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.
One of the largest onshore wind installations in the U.S. is underway in Albany County, Wyoming, where renewable energy giant Invenergy LLC (Chicago, Illinois) is installing 75 turbines rated at 5.3 MW each for the Phase II construction of its Rock Creek windfarm. EPC firm Blattner Energy Incorporated (Avon, Minnesota) is expected to finish work later this year, when nearly 400 MW of emissions-free wind generation will become available. Combined with 190 MW of wind power built previously in Phase I, the Rock Creek windfarm will be able to generate about 590 MW of power, although each phase of the projects connects to different substations. Subscribers can click here for more details of the project.
Natural Gas
Showing that not all new generation results in a net power increase, Intermountain Power Agency (Jordan, Utah) is building 800 MW of natural gas-fired power next to its retiring coal-fired Intermountain Power Plant. The coal-fired plant is slated to retire this year, taking about 1,900 MW of power with it, due to a mandate from California (where 98% of the plant's power goes) to remove coal-fired power from its generation mix. There has been talk of keeping the coal-fired units open to serve Utah, but this appears to have gained little traction over the three months since it was discussed in the Utah legislature. The new plant will be able to burn up to 30% hydrogen in addition to natural gas, further reducing emissions. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
