A wave of solar projects and manufacturing investments have poured across states that voted for Trump last November.
Where Trump won, solar capacity is winning over states that voted for Harris during the 2024 election.
According to a new post by the Solar Energy Industries Association, states that voted for President Trump in the 2024 election have experienced a surge of solar installations and manufacturing investments.
Fourteen of the 20 states that installed the most solar capacity last year voted for President Trump in 2020, according to SEIA. “There is now more solar capacity installed in Trump states than in states that voted for former Vice President Harris,” it added.
In late 2020, around Biden’s election, the states that would go on to vote for Harris in the 2024 election had more solar capacity than Trump states. 
In 2022, however, this began to flip and by the next presidential election, the states that voted for Trump had far more solar capacity than those that voted for Harris.
Of the top five states for solar capacity, California was the only state that voted for Kamala Harris in the presidential election. According to SEIA, 80% of the solar manufacturing investments since August of 2022 have flowed to congressional districts represented by Republicans.
Indeed, according to Wood Mackenzie, the IRA has supported over $220 billion in manufacturing investments, much of which has been concentrated in Republican-led states.
SEIA highlighted four standout states for solar markets: Texas, Florida, Georgia and Arkansas.
Texas
Texas has one of the least regulated electricity markets in the country. SEIA said the state has been installing solar at a “remarkable” rate because it is “simply the most economical choice.”
Texas is second for installed solar capacity, with 41.4 GW total solar capacity installed, up from 11.6 GW in 2024. It’s in first place for utility installations, but fourth for residential. According to SEIA, Texas installed more solar last year than any other state, and now maintains a solar market worth over $50 billion.
Over the lifetime of the state’s renewables projects, Texas landowners are expected to collect $29.5 billion in lease payments, and Texas counties are expected to generate $20 billion in tax revenue, according to a report by SEIA, Conservative Texans for Energy Innovation, Advanced Power Alliance and the Texas Solar + Storage Association.
Florida
Florida is home to the second most solar jobs in the country, SEIA said, and boasts one of the fastest growing solar markets with 13 GW of new capacity expected over the next five years.
Florida is third in the United States with over 18.6 GW of total solar capacity installed, up from 4.7 GW in 2024. The Sunshine State is in second place for residential and third for utility, but 16th for non-residential DG.
Georgia
Georgia has become an epicenter for American solar manufacturing in recent years, SEIA said.
SEIA noted several new manufacturing endeavors, including:
- Qcells’ $2.5 billion investment in facilities in Dalton and Cartersville;
- Suniva’s expansion and restart of its idled factory in Norcross, which the manufacturer credited to the subsidies contained within the IRA; and
- Solarcycle’s upcoming 5 GW recycling facility in Cedartown.
(See also: A trio of manufacturers announce the first all ‘Made in America’ silicon solar module)
Arkansas
In just the last two years, SEIA said Arkansas has become a “superstar.” The state more than doubled its installed solar capacity last year.
The solar industry has invested $3.6 billion into the Arkansas economy, SEIA said, noting the construction of the state’s largest solar project in Mississippi County.
Solar surges everywhere
“There are dozens of other states that voted for Trump and have experienced remarkable solar growth in recent years,” SEIA said, noting states such as Indiana, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Utah and South Carolina.
SEIA’s data aligned with a recent report published by the American Clean Power Association, which found that of the newly commissioned projects in 2024, 85% were in states that voted Republican in the 2024 presidential election.
“Red state solar is surging because it is the fastest, most cost-effective option for new power — full stop,” SEIA said.
