Clean Power Installations Hit Record Levels in 2025

Clean power growth remains strong, but slower deal-making could affect future rural energy and land-use opportunities.

cow behind fence wind turbine in the background Sustainability_Adobe Stock.png

Adobe Stock

LUBBOCK, TEXAS (RFD NEWS) — U.S. clean power developers posted a record year in 2025, even as policy setbacks and investor uncertainty began to build. A report from the American Clean Power Association said utility-scale solar, wind, and battery storage additions topped 50 gigawatts for the year, the first time annual deployment has cleared that mark.

The fourth quarter alone accounted for 18.6 gigawatts of new capacity. The report said that was enough to push the annual total to 50,344 megawatts, up 3 percent from 2024, and to power more than 6.9 million homes.

Storage was one of the strongest segments. Installations ran 41 percent above the previous record year, and the storage development pipeline continued to expand, indicating that demand remains strong despite policy questions ahead.

The longer-term pipeline still grew to 187,514 megawatts, but the pace slowed. The report said power purchase agreement announcements fell 27 percent from a year earlier, raising concern about weaker project deployment in the 2028 to 2030 window.

The report also said clean power projects are now operating in all 50 states. Nineteen states increased capacity by more than 20 percent in 2025, with Kentucky posting one of the biggest jumps.

Farm-Level Takeaway: Clean power growth remains strong, but slower deal-making could affect future rural energy and land-use opportunities.
Tony St. James, RFD News Markets Specialist
Related Stories
Stronger overseas demand for both fuel ethanol and feed co-products continues to reinforce corn use beyond the domestic market.
Autumn Lankford Higgins with the Farm Bureau joins us to discuss data center expansion on farmland, rural policy considerations, and the role of agriculture in emerging digital infrastructure.
Ohio farmer Chris Gibbs joins us to discuss planting progress, weather conditions, and how geopolitical tensions are clouding his growing season outlook as input concerns continue to escalate.
Farm Bureau economist Dr. Faith Parum says EPA’s final biofuel volumes keep corn demand steady and strengthen the outlook for soybean-based diesel feedstocks.
ASFMRA’s Skye Root joins us to discuss shifts in Western farmland markets, financial pressures facing producers, and the outside forces influencing land values and decision-making.
The Natchitoches facility is raising endangered species while supporting conservation efforts across the region.

Tony St. James joined the RFD-TV talent team in August 2024, bringing a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to RFD-TV and Rural Radio Channel 147 Sirius XM. In addition to his role as Market Specialist (collaborating with Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady to provide radio and TV audiences with the latest updates on ag commodity markets), he hosts “Rural America Live” and serves as talent for trade shows.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Stagger buys and diversifies fertilizer sources — watch CBAM, India’s tenders, and Brazil’s import pace to time urea, phosphate, and potash purchases.
Tight cattle supplies keep prices high for ranchers, but policy shifts, export barriers, and packer losses signal a volatile road ahead for the beef supply chain.
Distillers dried grains (DDG) values follow corn and soybean meal trends, with ethanol grind and feed demand shaping costs into early 2026.
Pork producers should prioritize health and productivity gains, hedge feed and hogs selectively, and watch Brazil’s export pace and China’s sow policy for price signals.
For tight margins, contract grazing leverages existing acres into new income streams and spreads risk. Here are some tips for row crop farmers looking to diversify.
Global nitrogen and phosphate prices remain high despite improved supply fundamentals, with limited Chinese exports and stronger fall applications tightening availability.
Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
Special 3-part series tells the story of the Claas family’s legacy, which changed agriculture forever.