By February 1, 2028, renewables would account for 37.4% of total available installed utility-scale generating capacity – just behind natural gas (40.2%) – with solar and wind making up more than 75% of the installed renewable energy capacity, according to data just released by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
In FERC’s latest monthly “Energy Infrastructure Update” report (with data through January 31, 2025), solar and wind combined accounted for more than 98% of new US electrical generating capacity added in January, and solar alone accounted for over two-thirds of that new capacity. Moreover, January was the 17th month in a row in which solar was the largest source of new capacity, according to the SUN DAY Campaign, which reviewed FERC’s latest data.
FERC says 63 “units” of solar totaling 2,945 megawatts (MW) were placed into service in January along with five units of wind (1,301 MW). Combined, they accounted for 98.4% of all new generating capacity added during the month. The balance was provided by natural gas (60 MW) and oil (11 MW).
Solar accounted for 68.2% of all new generating capacity placed into service in January – more than double the solar capacity added a year earlier (1,176 MW).
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Renewables reach one-third of total US generating capacity
New wind accounted for most of the balance (30.1%) of capacity additions. In fact, more new wind capacity was added in January 2025 than was reported as being added during any month in 2024.
Tother, the installed capacities of solar (10.5%) and wind (11.8%) now constitute 22.3% of the US’s total available installed utility-scale generating capacity.
Around 30% of US solar capacity is in small-scale (e.g., rooftop) systems that are not reflected in FERC’s data. Including that additional solar capacity would bring the share provided by solar and wind to more than a quarter of the US total.
If you add in hydropower (7.6%), biomass (1.1%), and geothermal (0.3%), renewables currently claim a 31.3% share of total US utility-scale generating capacity. If small-scale solar capacity is included, renewables are now around one-third of total US generating capacity.
FERC’s 3-year solar + wind addition forecast
FERC reports that net “high probability” additions of solar between February 2025 and January 2028 total 89,033 MW – an amount almost four times the forecast net “high probability” additions for wind (22,312 MW), the second-fastest growing resource.
FERC also foresees net growth for hydropower (1,319 MW) and geothermal (92 MW) but a decrease of 130 MW in biomass capacity. FERC has forecast no new nuclear capacity in its three-year forecast.
Taken together, the net new “high probability” capacity additions by all renewable energy sources would total 112,626 MW, with solar comprising over 79% and wind providing another 20%.
On the other hand, coal and oil are projected to contract by 24,940 MW and 2,237 MW, respectively. Natural gas capacity would expand by only 455 MW.
If FERC’s current “high probability” additions materialize, by February 1, 2028, solar will account for nearly one-sixth (16.2%) of the nation’s installed utility-scale generating capacity. Wind would provide an additional one-eighth (12.6%) of the total. Thus, each would be greater than coal (12.4%) and substantially more than either nuclear or hydropower (both 7.3%).
In fact, assuming current growth rates continue, the installed capacity of utility-scale solar is likely to surpass coal and wind within the next two years, placing solar in second place for installed generating capacity – behind only natural gas.
Meanwhile, the mix of all renewables is now adding about two percentage points each year to its share of generating capacity. Thus, by February 1, 2028, renewables would account for 37.4% of total available installed utility-scale generating capacity – rapidly approaching that of natural gas (40.2%) – with solar and wind constituting more than three-quarters of the installed renewable energy capacity.
Renewables are on track to exceed natural gas in 3 years
If small-scale solar is factored into FERC’s data, within three years, total US solar capacity (small-scale plus utility-scale) could surpass 325 GW. In turn, the mix of all renewables would then exceed 40% of total installed capacity while the share of natural gas would drop to about 37%.
Moreover, FERC reports that there may be as much as 220,767 MW of net new solar additions in the current three-year pipeline in addition to 68,409 MW of new wind, 9,833 MW of new hydropower, 201 MW of new geothermal, and 39 MW of new biomass. By contrast, the net new natural gas capacity in the three-year pipeline potentially totals just 18,363 MW. Thus, renewables’ share could be even greater by early 2028.
“The Biden era closed out with record-setting solar additions and a rebound in new wind capacity,” noted the SUN DAY Campaign’s executive director, Ken Bossong. “Whether solar, wind, and other renewables can continue that growth under the policies of the Trump administration remains to be seen.”
Electrek’s Take
This is quite a positive renewables forecast from FERC, despite the hostility for renewables by the incumbent in the White House. For example, Trump just removed solar panels and components from Section 303 of the Defense Production Act (DPA) with yet another executive order. Joe Biden invoked the law in 2022 to help fund clean energy manufacturing through the Inflation Reduction Act, and it worked.
A new report from the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), which surveyed “top executives from the largest clean energy investors and project sponsors in America, representing over $15 billion in capital investments,” found that federal tax credit uncertainty could cause 84% of investors and 73% of developers to decrease their activity in clean energy. They want long-term certainty in order to continue to invest. Will they get it? I’m not holding my breath. But renewables have a whole lot of momentum and advantages that fossil fuels don’t. Let me know your thoughts about renewables’ future under the Trump administration in the comments below.
If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 SEL is more expensive than the more basic SE, but it’s a better lease deal this month – here’s the lowdown.
The 2025 IONIQ 5 SE Standard Range is the cheapest lease deal right now because it can be leased for $199 per month over 24 months with $3,999 due at signing.
If you want to drive the 2025 IONIQ 5 SE Long Range, which adds an extra 73 miles of range and 57 horsepower, the monthly payment rises to $229 per month over 24 months, with $3,999 due at signing. As CarsDirect points out, that puts the effective monthly cost at $396, and that’s a fantastic deal relative to the SE Long Range’s price of $48,125.
But when we look at the SEL trim, things get interesting: You can upgrade to the $51,075 SEL model for just $10 more per month.
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Hyundai cut $40 off the lease price of the 2025 IONIQ 5 SEL in March, giving it a monthly price of $406. CarsDirect reports that Hyundai is able to offer this great deal on the SEL trim because of the comparably high residual value (65% vs. 63%) and $750 more in lease cash ($12,250 vs. $11,500) factored into the payment than the SE Long Range.
The SEL and SE Long Range have the same powertrain, but that extra $10 a month gets you projector headlights, roof rails, a hands-free power liftgate, a power passenger seat, heated rear seats, rear climate control vents, a heated steering wheel, and other goodies.
These 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 offers are advertised in Los Angeles and are valid through March 31.
If you’re an electric vehicle owner, charge up your car at home with rooftop solar panels. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing on solar, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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Tesla has been banned from upcoming federal EV rebate programs in Canada as the government freezes the suspicious $43 million in rebates that Tesla claimed days before the program was paused earlier this year.
The move was suspicious as it would have required Tesla to deliver over 8,000 vehicles at just 4 locations on a weekend, which is physically impossible.
It is believed that Tesla preemptively filed for thousands of rebates after being made aware of the pause to ensure it wouldn’t run out in an anticipated surge in demand due to the program’s pause.
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However, this tactic proved problematic. The government told other car dealers who actually delivered EVs before the end of the program that they couldn’t get the rebates, which were already applied to the customer purchases, as Tesla took most of the money for vehicles it likely didn’t deliver.
Today, Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s new transport minister, confirmed that the funds have been frozen until it can investigate precisely what happened with Tesla’s rebates.
Furthermore, Freeland confirmed that Tesla will be banned from future federal rebates for electric vehicles. In this case, it has more to do with the trade war launched by President Trump, whose biggest political donor is Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
She said (via the Toronto Star):
No payments will be made until we are confident that the claims are valid. I also directed my department to change the eligibility criteria for future iZEV programs to ensure that Tesla vehicles will not be eligible for incentives so long as the illegitimate and illegal U.S. tariffs are imposed against Canada.
The federal government is following the same strategy as some provinces. British Columbia has recently banned Tesla products from its EV charger rebate. Nova Scotia just announced that it has excluded Tesla from its $2,000 rebate at the purchase of a new EV.
Quebec just relaunched its own EV incentive program today. It will come into effect next week, and so far, Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y vehicles are still included in the list of eligible vehicles.
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XCharge North America (XCharge NA) and Hypercharge Networks are bringing bidirectional DC fast chargers to Canada, starting in British Columbia and Ontario.
The partnership will introduce XCharge NA’s battery-integrated GridLink 300 kW DC fast chargers that improve grid stability.
GridLink chargers are bidirectional, so they allow power to flow back into the grid or act as an off-grid energy source, contributing to overall grid stability. With a battery storage capacity of 215 kilowatt-hours (kWh), expandable up to 430 kWh, GridLink helps businesses avoid expensive grid upgrades and demand charges.
The chargers are capable of integrating directly with renewable energy sources like solar panels. This makes them ideal for regions still building out their electrical infrastructure to support rapid EV growth, particularly rural areas.
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Under the deal, XCharge NA will supply the GridLink chargers, while Hypercharge will distribute them to automotive dealerships and other commercial customers throughout Canada. Hypercharge will manage software, customer support, and routine maintenance, and its team will receive special training from XCharge NA for more technical hardware repairs.
The partnership aims to address Canada’s rising demand for EV charging by making infrastructure more accessible and reliable. “We look forward to seeing how our GridLinks can help strengthen Canada’s grid stability, particularly in rural deployments, while also addressing the region’s growing demand for EVs and supporting electric transportation needs,” said Aatish Patel, cofounder and president of XCharge NA.
If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
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