The United States newly installed 29.6 GW of clean power capacity in the first nine months of the year, surging 86% year on year, according to a report released by the American Clean Power Association (ACP).

This brought the nation's total clean energy installations to 294 GW, enough to supply electricity to approximately 72 million U.S. households.

The third quarter alone saw the addition of 10.2 GW of clean energy capacity – a record-breaking achievement that underscores the robust expansion of renewable energy in the U.S.

The report said that 6.3 GW of new utility-scale solar capacity was added over the July to September period, pushing the year-to-date total to nearly 20 GW. At this pace, 2024 is expected to far surpass the previous annual record of 21.3 GW set in 2023.

Energy storage solutions also observed significant gains, with 3.5 GW added in the third quarter, taking the total for the year to 7.5 GW. Land-based wind projects saw a 3% increase from the second quarter in pipeline capacity, reaching 24.4 GW, while offshore wind capacity grew 3.3 GW to 15.5 GW.

In addition, states like Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi emerged as new leaders in clean energy installations during the given period.

A total 32 GW of utility-scale solar capacity is expected to be added in 2024. Beyond that, the U.S. solar market is predicted to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.6% between 2025 and 2030, with annual installations reaching 37 GW by the decade's end.

The ACP also forecast a 14% decline in solar capital costs by 2035, largely due to falling module prices.