Solar energy will power most of the growth in US power generation over the next two years, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
The solar sector is expected to add 26 gigawatts of capacity this year and 22 gigawatts in 2026, boosting solar generation by 34% and 17% in those years, respectively.
Renewables have been an expanding power source in the US, with wind and solar overtaking coal in the electricity mix for the first time in 2024. The EIA estimated in its Short-Term Energy Report that wind capacity will also tick higher over the same period.
The rise of solar could come at the expense of fossil fuels, a source of power generation President Donald Trump has aimed to grow.
"Rising generation from total renewables will cause natural gas generation to decline by 3% in 2025 and by another 1% in 2026," the note said. Natural gas remains the largest source of US power generation, though its capacity growth slowed in 2024.
The shifting energy mix i in contrast the ambitions laid out by the White House. On his first day in office, President Trump declared a "national energy emergency," calling for boosted output to repair, among other things, "inadequate" generation capacity — needed resources included crude, coal, and natural gas. Renewables were not mentioned.
Business Insider
