US Solar Industry Continues Growing

The latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, or EIA, reveals that the mix of renewable energy sources produced over the first three months of 2025, provided nearly a third of the total U.S. electric generation.

Utility-scale solar expanded by 43.9 percent in the first quarter of this year. Small-scale rooftop solar increased by 11 percent compared to the same period in 2024.

The combination of utility-scale and small-scale solar increased by over one third and was 6.8 percent of the total U.S. electric generation for this first quarter, up from 5.3 percent a year earlier.

This means that energy generated from solar surpassed the output of the nation's hydroelectric plants, which was 5.7 percent.  This is a first in our nation's history.

Biofuels Demand More Land than Solar Generation

New research by the University of Arkansas shows that even with an extreme ramping up of solar energy infrastructure, only a tiny fraction of agricultural land would likely be taken out of production by harvesting sunlight.

Authors of the study mapped out the expansion of solar energy projects in the state of Arkansas and found that only 22,000 to 35,000 acres of farmland would be used for solar by the end of 2026.

This accounts for about 0.2 percent of the state's total agricultural land.

If solar grew to 15,000 megawatts of capacity, which is the same electrical capacity used within the state of Arkansas by all forms of energy (coal, natural gas, nuclear and renewables), that would require about 137,000 acres from the total of 13.7 million acres of farmland within the state (about 1 percent of the state's farmland)

A 2021 study by NREL, the National Renewable Energy's Lab, found that a transition of our nation's grid to renewable energy from wind and solar would require about a one-third of the land that is currently being used to produce corn for ethanol.
It should be noted that currently about 30 million acres in the U.S. is dedicated to growing corn for ethanol production. This represents about 40 percent of the entire corn crop.

International Shortfall of Critical Minerals is Predicted

A recent report from the International Energy Agency or the IEA has predicted that the demand will outpace supply for copper and lithium over the next 10 years. These critical minerals face high demand costs through the green energy transition. The global critical minerals outlook 2025 report has predicted rapidly increasing demand for copper could potentially lead to shortages.
The agency projected a 30 percent supply shortfall of copper by 2035.

Reasons for this shortfall include declining ore grades, increasing costs, and fewer resource discoveries, as well as a lack of diversification and mining sources.   According to media reports, it takes an average of 17 years from the time a deposit is discovered to the time that it is producing copper.

Transformer Supply Shortfall Threatens Stability/Growth

The need to modernize the US power grid is also being impeded by slow access to new electric transformers. Global supply chain disruptions continue to slow access to transformers that are critical to stabilizing power system voltages and efficiencies.

Delivery of new transformers ordered today takes up to three years according to the National Association of Electrical Manufacturers or NEMA. Five years ago, the wait time was only four to six weeks.

The US power system has 60 to 80 million transformers as of late 2024, and estimates are that the demand for transformers will increase 260 percent over the coming decade. NREL reported that about 55 percent of all residential transformers are at the end of their lives, more than 40 years old.

Anti Renewable Bill Fails in Texas Statehouse

Three anti-solar bills in Texas appeared dead after failing to meet the state's deadline that would have otherwise allowed them to progress through the legislative process.

Senate Bill 819 would have placed additional fees,  permitting restrictions, mandated setbacks and regulatory requirements on utility scale wind and solar projects within the state of Texas.

Despite significant opposition to the bill while in committee, the legislation passed the Texas Senate 22 to 9 last April. Other bills that passed the Senate sought to require that at least half of all the electrical generation within the state of Texas come from coal or natural gas.

The three bills missed last Saturday's deadline for legislation passed in the Senate to clear through the committee votes in the House of Representatives, so these bills will not be considered by the House this year.