US solar can now power 50M homes – and red states led the boom

US solar has grown enough to generate as much electricity as more than 50 million homes use, over a third of all US households. That's a national industry milestone, not a sign that any specific home is running on solar power. The country added 11.4 gigawatts of new solar capacity in the second quarter of 2026, up 45% from a year earlier, with most of that growth coming from large utility-scale solar farms rather than home rooftop systems. Developers rushed to start these big projects before a July 2026 deadline to lock in federal tax credits.

Rooftop solar for homeowners is a different story. The federal Residential Clean Energy Credit, which had covered 30% of the cost of a home solar or battery system, expired for any system installed after December 31, 2025. That credit is gone unless a new incentive replaces it. Even so, analysts at Wood Mackenzie expect homeowner interest in solar and battery storage to pick back up in 2027, as people keep looking for ways to cut electric bills and keep power running during outages.

For now, if you're weighing a home solar or battery installation, the federal tax credit that used to sweeten the deal is no longer available for new systems. It's worth checking whether your state offers its own solar incentives, since those vary widely and some may still apply even with the federal credit gone.