U.S. Renewable Electricity Reaches 30% of Generation in Early 2026

Renewables supplied 30.0% of total U.S. electricity generation during the first four months of 2026, a 2.2‑percentage‑point rise from the same period in 2025, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Growth was led by utility‑scale solar (+21.3%), hydropower (+15.7%), small‑scale solar (+11.9%) and wind (+3.4%). Coal output fell 11.6%, while nuclear and natural‑gas generation changed only modestly.

The International Renewable Energy Agency reported that renewable electricity accounted for 31.7% of global generation in 2024, up to 9,836 TWh. Asia led with 4,589 TWh, followed by Europe, North America and other regions. Annual renewable capacity additions peaked at 693 GW in 2025, bringing total renewable capacity to 5.2 TW (49.5% of global capacity). The share of renewables in total capacity expansion remained high at 85.7% in 2025.