US power-sector data show that 368 utility-scale plants began operating in the first half of 2026, with solar and battery projects dominating both the number of completions and much of the added capacity. The figures matter because they offer a concrete view of current construction trends, even as much larger natural-gas projects have been announced but are not expected to come online for several years.

The largest additions were the two SunZia wind farms in New Mexico, totalling 3,650MW, followed by Ohio’s 900MW Trumbull Energy Center gas plant and Utah’s 800MW Green River solar-and-battery project. Solar accounted for 207 projects and 11,458MW, while batteries added 95 projects and 8,207MW; gas technologies added 2,707MW in total, and onshore wind added 5,473MW largely because of SunZia. Analysts say smaller and mid-sized solar schemes, often paired with batteries, are easier to site and build, though capacity figures do not directly measure how much electricity each technology produces.