The United States is projected to add more than 75 gigawatts (GW) of new wind and solar capacity between the end of 2024 and 2026, according to new estimates released this week by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), underscoring continued momentum in renewable energy deployment amid shifting federal policy signals.
The EIA forecasts that wind generation capacity will rise from just under 152GW at the end of 2024 to 168.5GW by the close of 2026, representing an increase of over 16GW. Solar is expected to see a more substantial expansion, growing from 122.6GW to 182.6GW during the same period — a near 50% increase.
The outlook comes despite stated plans by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to scale back renewable energy support if elected. Trump has repeatedly described renewable energy as a “scam” and has indicated a preference for prioritising fossil fuel development.
Last week, Lee Zeldin, head of the Environmental Protection Agency under Trump, said the administration would move to eliminate the $7 billion “Solar for All” initiative introduced under President Joe Biden. The program was designed to provide residential solar access to around 900,000 low-income and disadvantaged households.
Still, industry leaders remain optimistic about long-term prospects. Henrik Andersen, CEO of wind turbine manufacturer Vestas, said he expects steady growth in the U.S. wind sector through the end of the decade.
“We continue to see strong interest from U.S. customers,” Andersen noted, following Vestas’ announcement of 950MW in new turbine orders for the third quarter.
While the policy landscape remains fluid ahead of the 2024 presidential election, the EIA’s figures suggest that market fundamentals and state-level mandates continue to drive deployment of clean energy infrastructure.
