According to the newest U.S. Solar Market Insight report released in September 2026 by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie, the United States has enough operating solar capacity to power more than 50 million homes, or just over one-third of all American homes. 

According to the report, America’s solar industry added 11.4 gigawatts (GW) DC of new electricity generating capacity in Q2 2026, a 45% year-over-year increase and a 43% increase from Q1.  Solar and storage accounted for 70% of all new capacity added to the grid nationally in the first half of 2026.  

According to the report, more than 6 million American homes now have installed residential solar systems to manage their electricity bills and strengthen their energy resilience. Analysts predict that the residential solar market will continue to grow in 2027, in part because Americans are searching for ways to lower their electric bills.

Texas, Arizona, Florida and Michigan lead the top 10 states that added solar capacity installed in the first half of 2026, demonstrating the industry’s ability to deliver large amounts of new power quickly to meet rising energy demand, strengthen grid reliability and manage energy costs.  

“Solar and storage have grown to a scale most Americans have yet to fully realize and we simply can’t meet America’s growing energy needs without these technologies,” said Tim Pawlenty, SEIA president and CEO.  

The report forecasts that the U.S. solar market will almost double over the next five years. This is most likely in response to increasing nationwide energy demand. Already in Q2, 9.6 GW DC of utility-scale solar was installed—an increase of 61% year-over-year. While some of the rush may be linked to meeting the July 2026 safe harbor deadline for tax credit eligibility, many projects remain in the pipeline for the coming years.

“Robust project pipelines and the build-out of safe-harbored capacity will sustain roughly 44 GW DC of annual capacity through 2031,” said Caitlin Connelly, senior analyst on Wood Mackenzie’s distributed solar team. “However, permitting and the post-ITC transition remain significant headwinds.”