Renewable energy supplied close to a third (30%) of electricity in the United States during the first four months of 2026, as solar, wind and battery storage all accelerated, according to new analysis of US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data by the SUN DAY Campaign.
As the SUN DAY Campaign noted, renewable electricity generation in the US increased by 10% year-on-year between January and April 2026.
‘Steady march’
“The steadily accelerating march of solar, wind, and battery storage continues,” commented Ken Bossong, SUN DAY Campaign executive director.
“Trump seems to be having no more success in stopping the growth of renewable energy sources than he is having in repairing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.”
Rise in renewables
Solar recorded the strongest growth over the four-month period, with electricity generation rising by 21.3%, followed by hydropower (+15.7%), small-scale solar (+11.9%) and wind (+3.4%). Together, wind and solar accounted for more than a fifth (21.8%) of all US electricity generation during the period.
In contrast, coal-fired electricity generation fell by 11.6%, while nuclear output increased by just 0.5%. Natural gas generation rose 2.8%.
April 2026 marked a symbolic milestone for the US energy transition, with both solar and wind individually generating more electricity than coal. Combined, solar and wind produced 57% more electricity than the country’s nuclear portfolio during the month.
Capacity growth
The report also highlights continued growth in renewable generating capacity over the past year. Between May 2025 and April 2026, utility-scale solar capacity increased by 27.6GW, while wind added almost 6GW and small-scale solar expanded by 6.5GW.
Total renewable capacity grew by almost 40GW over the 12-month period.
For the first time, utility-scale solar overtook wind as the nation’s largest renewable generating technology, reaching 160.2GW of installed capacity compared with 160.1GW for wind.
Battery energy storage also continued its rapid expansion, with installed capacity increasing by 58.1% over the past year, adding 17.7GW.
Looking ahead, the EIA has forecast a further acceleration in clean energy deployment, the SUN DAY Campaign noted. Between May 2026 and April of next year, utility-scale renewable energy is expected to add almost 56GW of new generating capacity, including 42.5GW of solar and 13.2GW of wind, while battery storage is projected to expand by another 22.8GW.
The findings are based on data featured in the EIA’s Electric Power Monthly report, which was published on 25 June. Read more here.
