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.”

Since Trump’s second inauguration in 2025, the president’s administration has taken several steps to block the buildout of renewable energy resources. 

At the end of April, a federal judge in Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction blocking a requirement for Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to personally approve all solar and wind energy projects on federal lands and waters. 

Over the weekend, another federal judge struck down the administration’s effort to restrict tax credits for wind and solar energy.

Another analysis from the industry group found that 457 solar and storage projects have permits pending, warning that these projects are “vulnerable to politically motivated delays or cancellations.”

“We are forecasting that US solar additions will be flat over the next five years despite the need for more power supply in the US,” Michelle Davis, head of solar at Wood Mackenzie said in a statement. “We’ve seen a notable increase in solar procurements in utility resource planning, but current permitting bottlenecks continue to serve as near-term headwinds.”