US Solar Cell Manufacturing Grows Despite Cloudy Days Ahead
The US doubled its solar cell manufacturing capacity and added 8.6 gigawatts in the first quarter of 2025, marking the third largest quarter for new solar manufacturing capacity on record.
According to a report recently issued by Wood McKinsey for the Solar Energy Industries Association(SEIA), new solar generating capacity totaled 10.8 gigawatts. That's 7 percent lower than installations for the first quarter in 2024, 43 percent lower than installations for the fourth quarter of last year. It's still the fourth largest quarter of deployment on record according to the same report.
The top five states for solar growth this quarter include Texas, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Despite growing demand for energy, the solar industry faces a rocky road over the next few years, particularly if the Senate concurs with the renewable energy tax credit cuts that have already been passed by the House.