Renewable energy sources generated nearly one-third of total U.S. electrical generation in April, with solar providing over 10% of total national output, according to a review of U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data by the SUN DAY Campaign.
EIA’s latest monthly “Electric Power Monthly” report (with data through April 30, 2025), confirms that solar continues to be the fastest growing new source of U.S. electricity.
In April alone, electrical generation by utility-scale solar (projects greater than 1 MW) increased by 39.3% while “estimated” small-scale (rooftop projects) solar PV increased by 11.8%. Combined, they grew by 31.3% and provided 10.7% of the nation’s electrical output during the month.
Solar-generated electricity surpassed the output of the nation’s hydropower plants (6.0%). In fact, solar is now producing more electricity than hydropower, biomass and geothermal combined. Wind and solar are now producing one-fifth of total U.S. electrical generation — out-producing coal and nuclear power.
During the first four months of 2025, electrical generation by wind plus utility-scale and small-scale solar provided 20.3% of the U.S. total, up from 18.5% during the first four months of 2024. In just the month of April, solar and wind accounted for almost one-fourth (24.6%) of total U.S. electrical output.
During the first four months of this year, wind and solar provided 20.2% more electricity than coal, and 13.8% more than the nation’s nuclear power plants.
Electrical generation by the combination of all renewables in just the month of April reached a new record and provided almost a third (32.8%) of total U.S. electrical generation. Renewables are now approaching the share provided by natural gas (35.1%) whose electrical output dropped by 4.4% during the month.
In April 2020, the mix of renewables provided 24.4% of total electrical generation while natural gas accounted for 38.8%. A decade ago, renewables provided 16.7% of total generation while natural gas provided 31.5%; most of the balance was accounted for by coal (30.3%) and nuclear power (20.4%).
“Solar is the now the fastest-growing major source of electricity and is generating more than hydropower, biomass, and geothermal combined while wind plus solar provide more electricity than either coal or nuclear power and the mix of all renewables is nearly matching the output of natural gas,” said Ken Bossong, executive director of the SUN DAY Campaign. “Yet, the Trump Administration and the Republican Congress are seeking to pull the rug out from underneath renewables in favor of dirtier and more expensive fossil fuel and nuclear technologies. What are they thinking?”
News item from the SUN DAY Campaign
