Solar and storage projects made up 82 percent of installations to the U.S. grid in the first half of the year, but the industry is facing a sharp downturn because of the “seismic shift” in federal policy, according to a new market report.
The analysis from the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie is one of the first industry forecasts since passage of the Republican megalaw, which phases out wind and solar tax credits faster than those for other technologies. The report details where every segment of the industry is likely headed through the end of the decade after rollbacks of federal incentives, concluding that residential solar is facing “one of the most tumultuous periods in history.”
“Solar and storage are the backbone of America’s energy future,” SEIA President and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper said in a statement. “Instead of unleashing this American economic engine, the Trump administration is deliberately stifling investment, which is raising energy costs for families and businesses.”
Overall, Wood Mackenzie and SEIA project that solar deployment could be 21 percent — or 55 gigawatts — lower through 2030 than previous forecasts because of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act and recent administration actions such as Interior Department permitting changes.
