U.S. rooftop solar generation has more than quadrupled over the past decade, reaching 92,979 gigawatthours in 2025 from 18,812 gigawatthours in 2016, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The increase has made small-scale systems a larger part of the power mix even as annual growth has cooled from its 2022 pace.
The expansion adds another source of supply as the United States faces record electricity demand and tighter grid conditions. EIA classifies small-scale solar as installations with less than one megawatt of capacity, including most residential and commercial rooftop systems.
Rooftop solar generation rises fourfold
California remained the largest state market for small-scale solar generation, followed by Arizona, Texas, Florida and New York. The national growth rate was especially strong in 2022, when annual generation increased 25%, but it has slowed since then.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, published October 16, 2026. Figures are EIA estimates.
The trend also matters for equipment demand, utility planning and construction activity. Those links put distributed solar alongside broader signals such as September industrial production and changes in energy-related consumer inflation.
Texas and Florida record rapid gains
Texas and Florida posted the most dramatic increases among the leading states. Texas generated nearly 14 times as much small-scale solar electricity in 2025 as in 2016, while Florida produced more than 25 times as much.
The figures require some caution. Utilities do not directly meter all behind-the-meter generation, so EIA combines utility survey data with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s System Advisor Model and PVWatts estimates. That methodology supports a consistent national series, but the totals remain modeled estimates rather than a complete meter count.
Elsy kanana
Elsy Kanana is a financial and cryptocurrency journalist at FusionMarketNews, covering digital assets, blockchain technology, financial markets, and emerging fintech trends. Her reporting focuses on market movements, regulatory developments, and on-chain analytics, delivering clear, data-driven insights to readers worldwide.
