Overview
- New EIA data reviewed by the SUN DAY Campaign indicate solar, wind, and battery storage will add about 62% more U.S. utility-scale capacity in 2026 than in 2025, supplying virtually all net new capacity.
- Planned U.S. additions for 2026 include roughly 44 GW of utility-scale solar, about 24 GW of battery storage, and around 12 GW of wind (onshore and offshore combined).
- Federal data show U.S. solar generation jumped more than 35% in 2025 and surpassed hydro for the first time, with renewables providing 25.7% of total electricity and wind reaching 10.3%.
- U.S. power demand rose 2.8% in 2025, coal generation grew about 13%, gas output fell 3.3%, and reporting ties the shift toward coal to equipment tariffs and tighter gas markets.
- Globally, China installed record capacity in 2025 (about 315 GW solar and 119 GW wind) while adding roughly 93 GW of coal and gas, as GEM reports project announcements and starts grew only 11%, raising doubts about the 2030 tripling goal.