by Jeniffer Solis, Nevada Current

New solar power installations declined significantly in Nevada last year, as the Trump administration prioritized boosting fossil fuels and implemented policies limiting the growth of renewable energy, according to an industry report released on Tuesday.

Nevada ranked 27th in the United States for solar installation last year, a dramatic fall from ranking among the top ten in 2023 and 2024, according to the report and data published by the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie, an energy research firm.

Despite the fall in new solar power installations in 2025, Nevada still ranks sixth in the nation in total solar capacity – producing 8.2 gigawatts of solar energy or enough to power 1.4 million homes annually.

Solar energy also maintained its position as the largest source of new electricity generation added to the electric grid in Nevada and across the United States in 2025, despite setbacks induced by recent policy decisions under the Trump administration. 

Nevada has leaned into solar energy in recent years, generating nearly one-third of its electricity from solar thanks to the abundance of sunshine and public land in the state. Since 2016, the share of Nevada’s in-state electricity generation from all solar sources has more than tripled.

Nevada also ranks fourth in the nation in battery storage capacity, with over 6.3 gigawatt-hours of storage capacity installed.

However, recent federal actions targeting clean energy could halt as many as 10 solar and storage projects on federal and private lands, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Those projects represent nearly 95% of all planned new power in the state.

In July the Trump administration mandated that all solar and wind energy projects on public lands be personally approved by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, a threshold that Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo said has stalled several solar projects in the state.

Solar power installations also declined nationally last year, decreasing by 14% compared to 2024, the report said. 

Solar still accounted for more than half of all new electricity generation added to the electric grid nationally in 2025, installing 43.2 gigawatts of new capacity last year. 

According to the report, tariff-related expenses and the reversal of renewable energy tax credit policy were among factors leading to delays and cancellations across all solar energy segments. 

The biggest decline came from community solar installations, which declined by 25% from 2024. In Nevada, the Trump administration froze $156 million grant funding under the Solar for All program, which would have financed community solar projects that would benefit low-income households.

Utility-scale solar installations saw the second largest decline, declining by 16% in 2025 compared to the previous year. The residential solar sector declined by about 2% compared to 2024.

The only solar installation sector that saw growth was the  commercial solar segment, which grew 6% in 2025, adding more than 2,300 megawatts of new capacity nationally. The increase was largely driven by California’s net metering program which allows homeowners and businesses to receive credits for excess energy their solar panels produce, said the report. 

“Solar and storage continue to dominate new capacity additions to the grid despite policy headwinds. American households and businesses of all sizes are demanding solar + storage because they deliver fast, affordable power to help meet rapidly rising demand,” said Darren Van’t Hof, Interim President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association in a statement. 

“Washington must deliver policy certainty for the market to work and to keep pace with growing energy demands. Without this certainty, less solar will get built and Americans will pay the price with higher energy bills.” 

Nevada Current is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nevada Current maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Hugh Jackson for questions: [email protected].