Soaring solar and a surge in hydro push more coal off the US grid

US solar generation surged 35% in 2025 with 27 gigawatts of newly installed capacity, surpassing hydroelectric power for the first time in annual generation. Solar's expansion added roughly 85 terawatt-hours to the grid, meeting about two-thirds of increased energy demand when combined with wind's 2.8% growth. Coal's position in the US energy mix grew due to natural gas constraints, though fossil fuels still accounted for 58% of total 2025 generation.

Source: Ars Technica | 2026-05-22