Despite It All: Watching US Wind and Solar’s Amazing Progress

Wind and solar power keep growing in the US, even as federal policy works against them. In April 2026, solar and wind together supplied 26 percent of the country's electricity, up from about 20 percent just a few years ago. In May 2026, solar generated more electricity nationwide than coal for the first time ever. Solar and wind, plus battery storage, have made up more than 90 percent of all new power capacity added in each of the last two years.

This growth is happening despite moves by the Trump administration to slow it down, including buying back offshore wind leases from companies that won them at auction, and paying to keep aging coal plants running rather than let them close. Courts have repeatedly ruled against these actions, and offshore wind construction has continued. One development worth knowing about: some states, starting with Utah, have passed laws allowing "plug-in" or "balcony" solar, which lets a household, including renters and people in apartments, buy small solar panels that plug in directly and offset part of their electric bill without a full rooftop installation. Rules on this vary by state, so it is worth checking what your state allows.

None of this changes anything about existing rebate programs directly, but it points to a broader trend: solar and wind are cheaper and faster to build than most other power sources, and their share of the electric grid keeps rising regardless of the political fight over them.