Renewables lead electricity generation growth in 2026

The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s latest short-term energy outlook finds that electricity generation growth in America is led by growth from renewable sources such as solar and wind. In the summer of 2026, when solar production in the United States peaks, the agency expects solar power to generate 17% more electricity than it did last summer. In 2026, wind is forecast to provide about 11% of U.S. electricity generation and solar is expected to provide nearly 8% of generation. 

“From the Sunbelt to the windy Great Plains, America has abundant renewable energy,” said Wendy Wendlandt, President of Environment America Research and Policy Center. “And we have smart, efficient technology to store and share it. Powering America with renewable energy is simply an idea whose time has come.”

The United States harnessed more than three times as much solar, wind and geothermal power in 2024 as it did in 2015, with growth in all 50 states according to the State of Renewable Energy, an interactive dashboard of renewable energy data compiled by Environment America Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group. The groups are planning to update the dashboard with the latest available data on May 13th.