The U.S. electricity sector is approaching a structural shift that would have seemed ambitious just a few years ago. Fresh data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that renewables are no longer just adding capacity at the margins. They are becoming the backbone of growth in the power system, with solar, wind and battery storage expected to deliver virtually all net new generating capacity in 2026.
This momentum builds on a record-setting 2025, where clean energy technologies expanded faster than any other sources and steadily ate into the share once dominated by coal and, increasingly, natural gas.
Solar power accelerates at record pace
Solar remains the standout performer in the U.S. power mix. According to EIA data through November 2025, solar electricity generation continues to grow faster than any other major source.
Utility-scale solar generation jumped nearly thirty four percent in November compared to the same month last year, while small-scale systems such as rooftop installations posted double-digit growth. Together, solar sources supplied more than seven percent of U.S. electricity in November, a sharp rise from under six percent a year earlier.
Looking at the first eleven months of 2025, the trend is even clearer. Combined utility-scale and small-scale solar generation rose by over twenty eight percent year on year and accounted for close to nine percent of total U.S. electricity output. Solar is no longer a niche contributor. It is rapidly becoming a core part of the national grid.
Wind keeps its lead among renewables
While solar is growing faster, wind continues to deliver the largest share of renewable electricity. Wind turbines produced just over ten percent of U.S. electricity during the first eleven months of 2025, maintaining their position as the leading renewable source.
Wind generation also edged higher compared to 2024, reinforcing its role as a stable and mature technology that complements the faster but more variable growth of solar.
Wind and solar outpace coal and nuclear
One of the most striking shifts in the 2025 data is how wind and solar together now compare with legacy power sources.
During January to November 2025, wind and solar combined generated about nineteen percent of total U.S. electricity. That is more than either coal or nuclear power produced over the same period. In fact, wind and solar together generated almost seventeen percent more electricity than coal and over ten percent more than nuclear.
This marks a symbolic turning point in the U.S. energy transition, underscoring how rapidly renewables are reshaping the generation mix.
Renewables reach a quarter of U.S. electricity output
When hydropower, biomass and geothermal are added to wind and solar, renewables accounted for nearly twenty six percent of total U.S. electricity generation in the first eleven months of 2025. That share rose despite a decline in natural gas generation, which fell by almost four percent year on year.
Natural gas still leads overall electricity generation, but its growth has stalled, while renewables continue to expand both in output and capacity.
Capacity additions tell the real story
Generation figures show what has already happened. Capacity additions reveal what is coming next.
Between January and November 2025, utility-scale solar capacity expanded by more than twenty two thousand megawatts, with small-scale solar adding another five thousand plus megawatts. Battery storage saw explosive growth, rising nearly fifty percent since the start of the year and adding over thirteen thousand megawatts of capacity.
Wind also delivered meaningful additions, while coal and petroleum-based capacity continued to shrink. Natural gas additions were modest, and nuclear capacity barely moved.
Overall, renewable energy capacity including battery storage grew by more than forty five thousand megawatts since the start of 2025, while the combined capacity of fossil fuels and nuclear power declined slightly.
2026 outlook: renewables and batteries dominate
EIA projections suggest that the pace of change will accelerate in 2026.
Utility-scale renewables and battery storage are expected to add nearly seventy thousand megawatts of capacity over the next twelve months. Small-scale solar is not included in the official forecast, but based on recent trends, additional growth of several thousand megawatts is likely.
By contrast, net additions from natural gas are projected to be minimal and largely offset by continued coal retirements. No meaningful nuclear capacity growth is expected.
If these projections hold, renewables and battery storage will account for more than ninety nine percent of net new U.S. generating capacity in 2026.
A reshaped U.S. power landscape
By late 2026, total renewable capacity including small-scale solar could approach parity with natural gas, representing more than a third of U.S. generating capacity. Solar capacity alone is on track to surpass wind, coal and even dwarf nuclear capacity, although coal and nuclear will continue to deliver higher capacity factors.
The implications are far-reaching. Grid planning, investment strategies and energy policy will increasingly revolve around managing high levels of variable generation and integrating large-scale storage.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH
