U.S. Solar Power Surpasses Wind Capacity Amid Record-Breaking November 2025 Performance

By the conclusion of November 2025, the American energy landscape witnessed a historic surge in solar power production. According to the "Electric Power Monthly" report released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) in January 2026, solar energy has firmly established itself as the nation's most rapidly expanding electricity source, consistently increasing its footprint within the domestic energy mix.

Detailed metrics from the EIA indicate that utility-scale solar generation experienced a remarkable year-over-year increase of nearly 34 percent by the end of November 2025. Meanwhile, smaller systems, such as residential rooftop installations, saw an 11 percent rise. Collectively, solar power accounted for 7.2 percent of the total U.S. electrical output in November 2025, a notable jump from the 5.9 percent recorded during the same month in 2024. Over the eleven-month span from January to November 2025, total solar output climbed by more than 28 percent, representing nearly 9 percent of the country's total electricity, compared to just over 7 percent in the preceding year.

A monumental structural shift was highlighted in data analyzed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). By the end of 2025, the total installed capacity of utility-scale solar facilities surpassed that of wind power for the first time in history. Between January and November 2025, large-scale solar projects added over 22 GW of capacity, while smaller systems contributed an additional 5.5 GW. This expansion was mirrored by the rapid deployment of battery energy storage systems, which grew by more than 13 GW—an impressive expansion of nearly 50 percent.

While solar energy led in terms of new capacity additions, wind power maintained its lead in total generation for the first eleven months of 2025, contributing over 10 percent of the nation's electricity. However, the combined force of wind and solar now generates nearly one-fifth of the total U.S. power supply, effectively overtaking both coal and nuclear energy in the national hierarchy. Overall, renewable sources provided nearly 26 percent of the total electricity volume, trailing only natural gas, which saw its output decline by approximately 4 percent.

Ken Bossong, the executive director of the SUN DAY Campaign, emphasized that the persistent growth of renewable energy underscores its transition into a cornerstone of the U.S. energy sector. FERC's analysis further revealed that solar energy was responsible for 72 percent of all new generating capacity in the United States during the first ten months of 2025. Looking ahead, the EIA anticipates that solar's share of total electricity production will reach 10 percent by 2027, with nearly all new capacity scheduled for 2026 expected to come from renewable sources and advanced energy storage technologies.