Solar power hits new milestones in the US even as Trump boosts coal over clean energy
Solar and storage accounted for 91% of new U.S. grid capacity in the first quarter, while May solar generation rose 17% and coal fell 11%.
- On Wednesday, the American Clean Power Association reported that utility-scale solar capacity surpassed wind as total U.S. clean power capacity moved above 370 GW following first-quarter additions.
- Despite President Donald Trump's efforts to boost coal, solar and battery storage represented 91% of all new generating capacity built during the first quarter of 2026.
- Data from the ACP's Q1 2026 Clean Power Quarterly Market Report shows new capacity consisted of 3.625 GW of utility-scale solar, 2.382 GW of storage, and 415 megawatts of wind.
- According to Ember, solar supplied 12.8% of U.S. electricity in May, exceeding coal's 12.2% share, even as the administration terminated $7 billion in intended solar funding.
- Developers have more than 195 GW of capacity in development nationwide, with large projects such as New Mexico's 3.5 GW SunZia installation expected to energize late in 2026.
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43 Articles
Although US President Donald Trump is pushing coal over clean energy, solar power is reaching new milestones in the country and remains the leading source of new electricity generation.
Solar power hits new milestones in the US even as Trump boosts coal ov
Even as President Donald Trump boosts coal over clean energy , solar power is hitting new milestones in the U.S. and remains the leading source of new power. Data released Wednesday by global energy think tank Ember, along with a report by the Solar Energy Industries Association and analytics firm Wood Mackenzie, show the continued growth of solar and decline of coal in the United States despite federal policy. In May, for the first time, solar …
Associated Press News
Solar power hits new milestones in the US even as Trump boosts coal over clean energy
Even as President Donald Trump boosts coal over clean energy, solar power is hitting new milestones in the U.S. and remains the leading source of new power.
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