Utility-scale solar generation is expected to increase 19% this summer compared to last summer, reflecting a 20% increase in capacity, while coal generation is expected to decline by 2%, according to a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
This summer is also set to be hotter than last year’s, EIA said, with an anticipated 3% increase in cooling degree days from June to September this year. That increase is set to correspond with a 3% increase in generation, or an additional 1,620 billion kWh.
“We expect the increase will be met almost entirely by increased generation from renewable fuel sources,” EIA said in a Short-Term Energy Outlook report released Tuesday.
Solar energy companies are reporting fair weather, despite cloudy skies, with a new report finding solar power accounts for 91% of new energy resources installed in the United States.
The Solar Energy Industry Association and Wood Mackenzie released their Solar Market Insight Report for the second quarter of 2026 on Wednesday, pointing to Michigan as one of the states leading solar panel installations.
According to the report, Michigan ranked seventh in the nation for solar panel installation in the first quarter of 2026.
In a press release, the association notes that states won by President Donald Trump in the 2024 election – including Michigan – made up 74% of all solar energy installed in the first quarter of the year.
The report also notes that contracts for large-scale solar have risen 15% year-over-year due to increased electricity demand driven by AI.
“In a world of fluctuating fuel prices, energy buyers have made it clear that they want the security, low cost, and speed of solar and storage, which commanded a massive 91% of all new capacity built in Q1,” Darren Van’t Hof, interim president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association said in a statement. “Yet, as power demand skyrockets, political and regulatory attacks are slowing down the exact resources we rely on. Impeding the only sector that is actively building new power is a reckless gamble that will only drive electricity bills higher.”
Associated Press:
Even as President Donald Trump boosts coal over clean energy, solar power is hitting new milestones in the U.S. and remains the leading source of new power.
Data released Wednesday by global energy think tank Ember, along with a report by the Solar Energy Industries Association and analytics firm Wood Mackenzie, show the continued growth of solar and decline of coal in the United States despite federal policy. In May, for the first time, solar supplied more of the nation’s electricity than coal, or 12.8%, Ember said. Coal supplied 12.2%, its fourth-lowest monthly share ever.
“For years solar power has risen in the U.S. electricity mix,” said Nicolas Fulghum, senior energy and data analyst at Ember. “At the same time, coal power has lost its status, first as the largest source in the U.S. mix, and then gradually over the years has fallen even further.”
