In-brief analysis
February 20, 2026
U.S. power plant developers and operators plan to add 86 gigawatts (GW) of new utility-scale electric generating capacity to the U.S. power grid in 2026 in our latest Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory report, a record if realized. Solar power makes up 51% of the planned 2026 capacity additions, followed by battery storage at 28% and wind at 14%.
In 2025, 53 GW of new capacity was added to the grid, the largest capacity installation in a single year since 2002.
Solar. We expect 2026 to be another big year for solar additions, similar to the record utility-scale solar capacity added to the U.S. grid in 2024 (30.8 GW) and in 2025 (27.2 GW). Developers plan to add 43.4 GW of new utility-scale solar capacity in 2026, a 60% increase in capacity additions from last year if realized.
More than half of the new utility-scale solar capacity is planned for four states: Texas (40%), Arizona (6%), California (6%), and Michigan (5%).
A new project, Tehuacana Creek 1 Solar and BESS, adding 837 megawatts (MW) in Texas, is the largest solar photovoltaic project expected to come online in 2026; it will also offer an additional 418 MW in battery energy storage capacity.
Battery storage. Developers plan to add 24 GW of utility-scale battery storage to the grid this year, compared with a record 15 GW added in 2025. U.S. battery storage capacity has grown exponentially over the last five years with more than 40 GW added to the grid during this period.
Projects in three states make up the bulk of planned battery storage capacity in 2026, accounting for about 80% of the new U.S. battery storage capacity: 53%, or 12.9 GW, in Texas; 14%, or 3.4 GW, in California; and 13%, or 3.2 GW, in Arizona.
Three of the four largest battery storage projects scheduled to come online in 2026 are in Texas:
- Lunis Creek BESS in Jackson, Texas, 621 MW
- Clear Fork Creek Solar and BESS SLF in Wilson, Texas, 600 MW
- Bellefield 2 Solar & Energy Storage Farm in Kern County, California, 500 MW
- Tehuacana Creek 1 Solar and BESS in Navarro County, Texas, 418 MW
Wind. Annual U.S. wind capacity additions have slowed, following record additions of more than 14 GW in both 2020 and 2021. But wind capacity addition could rise in 2026 with 11.8 GW planned to be added to the grid, more than double the capacity added last year. New Mexico, Texas, Illinois, and Wyoming combined will account for almost 60% of 2026 wind capacity additions. Two large offshore wind plants, the 800-MW Vineyard Wind 1 in Massachusetts and the 715-MW Revolution Wind in Rhode Island, which the companies now plan to bring online in 2026 after delays. The 3,650-MW SunZia Wind project in New Mexico is also expected to start commercial operations this year and will be the largest onshore wind project in the United States.
Natural gas. In 2026, developers plan to add 6.3 GW of new natural gas-fired capacity. Combined-cycle generation is expected to account for 3.3 GW of the planned additions, while combustion turbine units account for 2.8 GW. Over 80% of this planned natural gas capacity will be located across Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio, Tennessee, and Florida. The two largest natural gas plants scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2026 are the combined-cycle applications of Orange County Advanced Power Station in Texas (1,158 MW) and the Trumbull Energy Center (900 MW) in Ohio.
Principal contributors: Office of Energy Statistics staff
