US wind + solar outproduced coal and nuclear in Q1 2025 – EIA

All renewable energy sources, including wind + solar, produced more than a quarter of US electrical generation in Q1 2025 and provided nearly a third of total US electrical generation in March alone, according to US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data reviewed by the SUN DAY Campaign.

Solar set a new record in Q1 2025

In EIA’s latest monthly “Electric Power Monthly” report (with data through March 31, 2025), the data confirmed that solar continues to be the fastest-growing source of electricity.

Utility-scale (>1 megawatt (MW)) solar thermal and photovoltaic expanded by 43.9% while “estimated” small-scale (rooftop) solar PV increased by 11.1% during Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024. The combination of utility-scale and small-scale solar increased by 33.7% and was almost 6.8% of total US electrical generation for January to March, up from 5.3% a year earlier. As a consequence, solar-generated electricity surpassed the output of US hydropower plants (5.7%).

In March alone, electrical generation by utility-scale solar increased by 45.6% while that from small-scale systems rose by 13%. Combined, they provided 9.1% of US electrical output during the month.

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Wind had a strong first quarter

Wind turbines across the US produced 9.5% more electricity in Q1 2025 than they did a year before.

That output was nearly one-eighth (12.2%) of total US electrical generation and more than double that produced by US hydropower plants.

In March alone, wind-generated electricity increased by 11.1% and provided 14.8% of the US electricity supply.

Wind + solar outproduced coal + nuclear

In Q1 2025, electrical generation by wind plus utility-scale and small-scale solar provided 19% of the US total, up from 17% year-over-year. In just the month of March, solar + wind accounted for 23.9% of U electrical output.

During Q1 2025, wind + solar provided 6.8% more electricity than coal and 6% more than US nuclear power plants. In March alone, the gap increased significantly when solar + wind outproduced coal and nuclear power by 66.5% and 31%, respectively.

Renewables’ electrical output is closing in on natural gas

The mix of all renewables – wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, geothermal – produced 10.5% more electricity in Q1 2025 than they did a year ago (12.5% more in March alone) and provided 26.1% of total US electricity production compared to 24.8% year-over-year.

Electrical generation by all renewables combined in March alone reached a new record and provided 31.9% of total US electrical generation. For the first time, it nipped at the heels of natural gas (34.8%), which saw a drop in electrical output of 8.9%.  

For perspective, five years ago (May 2020), the mix of renewables provided 21.9% of total electrical generation while natural gas accounted for 41.9%. A decade ago (May 2015), renewables provided 15.1% of total generation while natural gas provided 30.5%; most of the balance was accounted for by coal (33.5%), and nuclear power provided 19.9%.

The renewables mix has strengthened its position as the second largest source of electrical generation, behind only natural gas, with the gap closing rapidly.

EIA forecast strong growth for renewables

The growth of solar, wind, and other renewables is consistent with several forecasts issued by EIA during the past five months.

In its “Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory” report issued in late December 2024, EIA forecast 32.5 GW of new utility-scale solar capacity to be added to the grid in 2025, along with 7.7 GW of new wind capacity and 18.2 GW of utility-scale battery storage.

Similarly, in early spring, EIA released its “Annual Energy Outlook 2025” report that explores potential longer-term US energy trends. In it, the agency foresees a nearly 50% increase in installed solar capacity during the Trump administration’s term. Moreover, electrical generation by grid-connected PV solar during that time would more than double from 201.1 billion kilowatt-hours (bKWh) to 420.1 bKWh. Onshore wind generation would rise from 153.4 bKWh to 175.4 bKWh while offshore wind could increase from 0.2 bKWh to 18.7 bKWh.

Finally, in its “Short-Term Energy Outlook” report issued in early May, EIA projected 26.3% growth in solar installations in 2025, increasing from 121 GW of installed capacity at the end of 2024 to 153 GW by the end of this year. It expects another 19.5% growth in cumulative capacity next year, reaching 182 GW by the end of 2026. During that period, actual generation would grow from 0.217 trillion kilowatt-hours (tKWh) to 0.343 tKWh. Wind would expand from 0.453 tKWh to 0.494 tKWh.

“Renewable energy sources, led by solar and wind, are clearly outpacing fossil fuels and nuclear power,” said the SUN DAY Campaign’s executive director, Ken Bossong. “It therefore defies logic that the Trump administration and the Republican Congress would be trying to curtail that growth in favor of dirtier and more expensive technologies.”

Read more: FERC: Solar + wind made up 98% of new US power generating capacity in Q1 2025

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