Utility‑scale solar led new US power plant additions this year with 11,458 megawatts, followed by batteries (8,207 megawatts) and onshore wind (5,473 megawatts), the latter mainly from Sun Zia projects. Natural‑gas combined‑cycle plants added just 2,707 megawatts across three projects, while gas combustion turbines (22) and internal‑combustion engines (21) and nine wind projects rounded out the list.

Eric Gimon, senior fellow at Energy Innovation, says the bulk of new capacity comes from small‑to‑mid‑size solar paired with batteries. "These kinds of smaller‑size projects are just easier to build, and the site possibilities are much more diverse and easy to find," he explained. Their ubiquity makes them less headline‑grabbing but pervasive.

The Southwest dominates: Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona account for roughly half of the new capacity. Texas leads with 3,067 megawatts of batteries, 2,311 megawatts of utility‑scale solar, and 1,154 megawatts of gas‑turbine or internal‑combustion capacity. The pattern shows a clear shift toward renewable‑plus‑storage builds in the region.