U.S. renewable energy capacity expansion outpaces fossil fuels

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that renewable energy generation in the United States grew by more than 10% during the past year.

During the first two-thirds of 2026, renewables provided over 28% of the nation's total electricity. This growth was driven primarily by utility-scale solar, which increased by 20.0%, and small-scale solar, which rose by 12.0%. Other sources like wind, hydropower, and geothermal also saw gains, while coal production fell by 8.7%.

The SUN DAY Campaign analyzed the data and projects that renewables and battery storage will add approximately 82.8 gigawatts of new capacity by August 31, 2027. During this period, the share of renewable energy in total generating capacity is expected to rise from 37.7% to 40.4%. This growth is projected to allow renewables to surpass the capacity of natural gas and exceed the capacity of nuclear power by five times.

The agency expects a net decline of almost 2 gigawatts in fossil fuel and nuclear capacity over the coming year. While natural gas capacity is expected to rise by 5,316.0 megawatts, the rapid expansion of utility-scale solar and wind will continue to dominate the energy mix. By late summer 2027, the combination of renewable sources and battery energy storage could provide nearly 83,000 megawatts of new clean energy capacity.