The American Clean Power Association (ACP) has released its quarterly market report, noting that USA developers added 11.7 GW of new utility-scale solar, wind and energy storage capacity in the third quarter. This represents a 14 percent rise compared with the same period last year.
Battery storage accounted for 4.7 GW, exceeding its previous third-quarter level. The report stresses, however, that policy and regulatory uncertainty continues to weigh on future growth prospects.
Although Q3 installations were at record levels, the indicators for future activity are less positive. Power purchase agreements fell by 31 percent year-on-year, with the combined total for all offtake types 38 percent lower than the same point in 2024. Buyers remain cautious, awaiting clearer guidance on policy and tax credit eligibility for new projects. Treasury guidance on transferable tax credits and foreign-entity-of-concern rules was issued only midway through the quarter, which slowed financing discussions and resulted in minimal pipeline growth, at under 1 percent quarter-on-quarter.
Q3 2025 key points
- Clean power installations: Q3 2025 reached 11,695 MW, the strongest third quarter to date. Land-based wind rose 131 percent compared with Q3 2024.
- Pipeline levels: The clean power pipeline reached 186,185 MW by the end of September, up 9 percent year-on-year, but only 1 percent higher than in the first quarter.
- Year-to-date progress: A total of 30.9 GW has been connected to the grid so far in 2025, slightly above the previous record year, 2024.
- Offtake activity: Announcements covering the first three quarters were 38 percent below the same period in 2024.
- State-level growth: Eleven states have enough capacity in development to more than double their operating portfolios: Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee and Virginia.
- Offshore wind: There were no capacity changes in Q3. The offshore pipeline will fall in Q4 after Invenergy requested cancellation of its offshore renewable energy certificate agreement for the 2,400 MW Leading Light Wind project with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
