EIA: 83 GW of renewables and storage coming in 12 months as fossil fuel capacity to fall — SkimNews
Get the Energy newsletter
Daily energy & climate — solar, EVs, oil, the policy fights and tech bets shaping the transition. Free.
- Renewables and battery storage are projected to add 82.7 gigawatts (GW) of new generating capacity in the U.S. over the next 12 months, with utility-scale solar leading the expansion.
- Fossil fuel and nuclear power will see a net decline of 1.4 GW in total generating capacity during the same period, as coal output falls and no new nuclear capacity comes online.
- Solar energy produced more electricity than any other renewable source in July 2026 for the second consecutive month, generating nearly as much as wind and hydropower combined.
- Wind and solar combined accounted for 21.6% of U.S. electricity production in the first seven months of 2026, surpassing coal by 49% and nuclear by 26% in output.
- Battery energy storage is expected to add 23.4 GW of new capacity by August 2027, doubling its contribution amid rapid renewable integration into the grid.
- SUN DAY Campaign noted that despite administration efforts to delay clean energy projects, renewables and storage grew by 88.7 GW over the past 18 months—over 33 times the net growth of fossil fuels and nuclear.
Why it matters: The U.S. is shifting decisively toward renewables, with solar alone set to outpace fossil fuel capacity additions. This growth undercuts claims that policy headwinds have stalled the energy transition, showing market and infrastructure momentum that favors clean energy despite political resistance.
Ask SkimNews
