The American Clean Power Association (ACP) has released data indicating a significant slowdown in U.S. renewable energy deployments, attributing the trend to federal policies aimed at limiting the sector. In its “Clean Power Quarterly Market Report” released September 3, the ACP reported that developers deployed more than 11 GW of new utility-scale solar, wind, and energy storage capacity in the second quarter of this year, representing an investment of $15.2 billion. However, the group cautioned that year-over-year growth showed less than a 1% increase when measured against the second quarter of 2024, with the clean energy development pipeline growing by less than 100 MW to 184.5 GW.
The ACP highlighted that solar power installations fell by 23% in the first half of this year, and power purchase agreements (PPAs) “plummeted,” describing this as an early indicator of federal policy attacks and fluctuating trade policy undermining American energy security and economic growth. “America’s clean energy industry continues to add much needed power to the grid. Unfortunately, federal policy obstacles and restrictive mandates are threatening hundreds of billions in planned energy investment,” said ACP CEO Jason Grumet. “The uncertainty created by new bureaucratic delays and unclear demands is having a chilling effect on the pipeline for future energy projects, stalling growth precisely when our nation needs more energy to power a growing economy.”
The report noted that federal policy actions from nearly every government agency, including the Department of Energy, and an ever-changing tariff environment have led to a drop in clean power purchasing and planning for the future, despite skyrocketing demand nationwide. Energy Secretary Chris Wright earlier this year called renewable energy a “parasite” on the nation’s power grid, stating that renewable energy sources do not provide consistent power and instead force other sources to adjust.
The ACP reported that the first six months of this year had 32% less capacity being contracted through PPAs than the same period a year ago. PPA announcements in the battery energy storage space fell 88% from Q1 to Q2, while announcements of wind power agreements were off 93%. The report also noted that corporate wind and solar PPA prices moved higher, jumping 6% from Q1 to Q2, and are up 8% year-over-year, reflecting the instability of the purchasing environment.
Highlights of the report include the fact that as of June 30, the U.S. had more than 330 GW of clean power capacity in operation, enough to power more than 81 million homes. However, the clean power pipeline sat at 184,500 MW at the end of Q2, up only 100 MW from the end of the first quarter of 2025. Despite this, developers added over 6.5 GW in the first half of 2025, 63% more than the first half of 2024, and at midyear 2025, developers reported that 83,403 MW of projects were under construction, spanning 580 projects.
Arizona became the latest state to surpass 10 GW of clean power installed, after adding 1,220 MW of new solar capacity and 1,369 MW of new storage capacity in the quarter. The state now hosts the third-largest storage fleet and fifth-largest utility-scale solar capacity in the country, as well as the second-largest clean power pipeline after Texas. The report also noted that eight of the top 10 states for Q2 clean power additions voted Republican in the most recent presidential election, highlighting that clean energy is not a partisan issue.
The ACP’s report underscores the impact of federal policies on the renewable energy sector, with the slowdown in deployments and the plummeting of PPAs indicating a need for stable policies to support investment and growth. As the sector faces uncertainty, the report serves as a call to action for policymakers to support all forms of energy to meet the nation’s growing electricity demand.