en.Wedoany.com Reported - U.S. renewable energy generation increased by more than 10% during the first third of 2026, with utility-scale solar, wind, and battery storage expected to add over 78.5 gigawatts (GW) of capacity to the grid by April 30, 2027, while fossil fuel and nuclear capacity are projected to decline by 5.2 GW. This data comes from the latest report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), analyzed and released by the SUN DAY Campaign.
Compared to the same period last year, renewable energy generation grew by 10.03% during the first third of 2026, led by solar projects of 1 megawatt and above. During the same period, generation from U.S. coal-fired power plants fell by 11.6%, nuclear increased by 0.5%, and natural gas rose by 2.8%. Wind and solar (including small-scale solar) together provided 21.8% of domestic electricity generation. In April alone, both wind and solar generation exceeded that of the nation's coal-fired plants, with their combined output surpassing nuclear power by 57.0%.
Between May 1, 2025, and April 30, 2026, utility-scale solar added 27.57 GW, and small-scale solar added 6.49 GW. The EIA report shows that utility-scale solar capacity exceeded wind for the first time, at 160.2 GW and 160.1 GW, respectively. During the same period, utility-scale battery storage capacity increased by 17.7 GW, a rise of 58.1%. In contrast, coal capacity declined by 3.51 GW, nuclear increased by only 18.4 MW, while natural gas capacity rose by 7.75 GW.
As of May 1, 2026, renewables accounted for 33.8% of total U.S. utility-scale generation capacity. The EIA projects this share will increase to 36.8% by April 30, 2027. When including small-scale solar, renewable capacity may surpass natural gas by early 2027 or sooner. By May 1, 2027, small-scale solar is expected to add approximately 6 GW, bringing total renewable installed capacity to about 537.6 GW, compared to an estimated 515.7 GW for natural gas. At that point, solar alone would account for more than one-fifth (20.1%) of total U.S. capacity.
In terms of battery storage, the EIA expects an additional 22.8 GW to be added by May 1, 2027, bringing total output capacity to 71,007.4 MW, an increase of at least 47% from current levels. Ken Bossong, Executive Director of the SUN DAY Campaign, stated: "The steady acceleration of solar, wind, and battery storage continues. Trump appears to be no more successful in halting renewable energy growth than he is in repairing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool."
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