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Maguire: Trump's policy reversal has slowed down but not stopped US solar capacity.

The U.S. President Donald Trump has scrapped subsidies and tax breaks that were given to renewable energy developers. This has not slowed down but rather slowed the growth of solar power in the United States.

Cleanview, an energy data portal, shows that the installed capacity of utility scale solar systems has increased by 10% in the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year.

The average annual growth rate since 2015 is 29%, a far cry from the projected 33% in 2024.

The fact that the capacity of renewable energy still increased this year is a positive for advocates of clean energy, especially given the Trump administration's strong anti-renewables position and the policy uncertainty it has created for power developers.

The federal tax credit for solar systems will be reduced from 2026. This could lead to a faster pace of solar system deployment before the end the year.

Here is a summary of the major trends in the U.S. Solar Market as of mid-2025.

PATCHY PROGRESS

The overall growth rate in 2025 has been about 10%, but there are wide variations in the rates of expansion across states.

Texas, the state with the most solar capacity, recorded a 14% increase in its utility-scale footprint in 2025. This has given rise to hopes that the demand for solar will continue despite the elimination of federal subsidies.

California, the second largest solar market in the world and a historically leading leader in clean energy deployment, has only seen a 2% rise in solar power capacity in 2025.

Solar advocates were shocked by the sudden slowdown in 2025, when California's solar power capacity had grown by 13% per year on average since 2020. They are now worried about a collapse of solar demand nationwide.

Solar sector is also concerned by the data on the uptake of solar in Florida, which is the third largest solar market.

At first glance, the year-to date expansion statistics aren't too bad: capacity has increased by 8% compared to last year and is now just below 12,000 megawatts.

Since January, utilities have not added any utility-scale solar capacity, which may indicate that the work to increase solar power production in Florida has ceased since Trump took office.

The work has also been at a standstill in North Carolina, Nevada and New Mexico - all of which are in the top 10 in terms solar capacity. New Mexico is ranked 15th.

A BIGGER PICTURE

Arizona, the 5th largest solar producer state in the US, has seen a 24% increase in utility solar capacity compared to a year earlier.

Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Idaho have all seen capacity growth rates that are far higher than the national average.

Solar system producers are now eager to close deals before the federal subsidy cuts at the end the year. This will lead to further expansions of solar capacity for utilities and residences.

This should further boost the overall growth of solar capacity in the United States despite the slashing federal subsidies and tax incentives that could loom after 2025.

These are the opinions of the columnist, an author for.

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(source: Reuters)