New data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, reviewed by the Sun Day Campaign, shows renewable electricity generation in the USA increased by 11.1% in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year, with wind continuing to account for more than a fifth of total national electricity production when combined with solar.

According to the latest Electric Power Monthly report, wind generation increased by 2.1% during the first three months of 2026, while utility-scale solar rose by 23.9%, hydropower by 21.9% and small-scale solar by 11.9%.

Combined wind and solar generation, including small-scale solar, supplied 20.3% of total USA electricity production during the quarter. Renewable energy sources accounted for more than 28.6% of total USA electricity generation during the period.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects utility-scale wind capacity to increase from 159 GW at the end of 2025 to 179 GW by the end of 2027, while annual wind generation is forecast to rise from 0.464 billion kilowatt-hours to 0.522 billion kilowatt-hours.

Installed wind capacity is projected to reach 204.4 GW by the end of 2030, including offshore wind capacity rising from 1 GW to 9.7 GW. Annual wind generation is expected to increase to 662.8 billion kilowatt-hours by 2030, with offshore wind contributing almost 5%.

As of April 1, 2026, renewable energy accounted for 33.6% of total USA utility-scale generating capacity. The figure is forecast to rise to 36.6% by March 31, 2027.

During that period, utility-scale wind is expected to add 14,157.4 MW of new capacity, including 4,155 MW of offshore wind, while solar is projected to add 42,626.1 MW.

The latest Energy Infrastructure Update from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission forecasts 19,821 MW of new wind capacity additions between January 2026 and December 2028. Renewable energy’s share of installed utility-scale generation capacity is expected to rise from 33.0% at the end of 2025 to 38.8% by the end of 2028.