Solar will dominate in 2026
Despite the rhetoric coming from Washington politicians and changes in federal policy that favor fossil fuels, clean energy is poised to once again dominate new generation facilities installed across the nation in 2026.
According to the latest estimates from the Energy Information Administration based on existing permits, this year, solar will provide 51 percent of the new utility-scale electricity capacity slated to come online, batteries will deliver 28 percent, and wind will add 14 percent. Natural gas will make up only 7 percent of that new capacity. There are no coal or nuclear power plants scheduled for construction this year. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently issued its first commercial reactor construction permit in nearly a decade to TerraPower for a 345-MW plant in Wyoming, with completion targeted for 2030.
States consider laws to allow plug-in solar
As of March 2026, Utah is the only state has actually passed legislation to legalize plug-in solar kits. In that state, these systems are considered an appliance and therefore do not require any special permitting. However, currently 29 states are considering legalizing these systems that are often referred to as balcony solar.
Plug-in solar kits are small, DIY systems that connect directly to a standard 120-volt wall outlet.
People can put them anywhere that gets direct sunlight, plug them into a standard outlet, and use the output to lower their electricity bills.
States currently considering legislation to allow these systems include:
Colorado, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Illinois, Oregon, California, New York, Connecticut, Idaho, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Alaska, Hawaii, Maryland, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Oklahoma, Missouri, South Carolina, New Mexico, and Washington DC.
In Georgia and Wyoming legislation to allow balcony solar was introduced and defeated.
Meta contracts for two massive solar projects to be built in Texas
Zelestra, a renewable energy company, has begun construction on two large Texas solar projects: a 253-MWDC system in Lamar County, and a 188-MWDC array in Hopkins County.
Facebook parent company Meta has signed power purchase agreements on both projects. Construction began at both sites in January of this year, with full commercial operation anticipated by the end of 2027. Together, the projects will support more than 400 local jobs. In total, 704,000 bifacial modules will be installed across 2,400 acres.
Meta's has previously stated that its renewable energy goal is to achieve net-zero emissions across its entire operations by 2030.
Big tech sign "Ratepayer Protection Pledge"
Increasingly big tech is facing a push back from voters as the massive build out in data centers across the US results in rapidly escalating electric prices for residents near these facilities.
While average U.S. electricity prices increased by about 28 percent during that same timeframe, regions with high data center density—such as parts of Virginia, Ohio, and Illinois—have experienced much higher, localized increases. Customers located near large data centers have seen electricity costs surge by as much as 267 percent over the last five years compared to 2020 levels.
In response, Amazon, Google, OpenAI, and other big tech companies met last week at the White House and signed what was described as a ratepayer protection pledge. The companies pledged to build and pay for the power and transmission infrastructure their data centers need, whether or not they use that power; to coordinate with grid operators on reliability; and to invest in the communities where they build.
Sounds good. However many energy experts suggest that this pledge is nothing more than a PR stunt that will provide no positive benefits to consumers.
First, there is no enforcement mechanism. This is simply a nonbinding and voluntary statement of goodwill.
Secondly, energy regulation is almost exclusively handled by state commissions. So any agreement at the national level has almost zero impact on local requirements.
Texas now top utility-scale solar state
Texas recently passed California as the state that has installed the most utility-scale solar. California, however, still leads the nation when it comes to solar installs if you add in rooftop solar.
Texas has experienced explosive solar growth over the past three years, experiencing an average 44 percent year-over-year growth rate. In 2025, Texas accounted for nearly one-third of all solar installed nationwide.
Rounding out the top 10 states for installed solar are: Florida, Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, Georgia, New York, Virginia and Illinois.
