Wind power

A US District court ruled against republican attempts to block deployment of wind and solar projects that could help to reduce US electricity costs as energy prices spike worldwide.

The US wind industry bounced back in a big way in 2025, installing 8.2 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity – up 49% from the year before – according to Wood Mackenzie’s latest US Wind Energy Monitor report.

The world added a massive 692 gigawatts (GW) of renewable power in 2025, pushing total global capacity to 5,149 GW, according to a new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Solar accounted for more than 72% of US electrical generating capacity added in 2025, with another 16% from wind, according to belatedly released data from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) reviewed by the SUN DAY Campaign.

Renewable energy provided over a quarter of US electrical generation in January 2026 – 11% more year-over-year – and accounted for over 36% of installed generating capacity, according to data just released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

In 2026, the EIA reports that solar, wind, and batteries added over 55 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity while the net total from fossil fuels and nuclear was less than 1 GW. Projections for 2026 are even more dramatic, according to the SUN DAY Campaign, which reviewed the data.

The world just added a record amount of wind and solar in 2025, and it’s not even close.

China’s clean energy boom is saddled with a major challenge: what to do with all its old wind and solar equipment.

GE Vernova has landed orders to repower 1.1 gigawatts (GW) of onshore wind turbines across the US.

European energy giant Vattenfall has started construction on a new hybrid renewable energy project in southwest Germany that combines wind and solar power at a single site.

Xcel Energy says it will supply electricity to a new Google data center in Pine Island, Minnesota, and the deal includes nearly 2 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy and a 100-hour iron-air battery.

South Dakota just approved what will become its biggest wind farm yet — a 333‑megawatt (MW) project planned across 68,300 acres in Haakon County, about 85 miles east of Rapid City.

Businesses walked away from $5.1 billion in large-scale factories and clean energy projects in December alone – a stark finish to a year in which cancellations finally overtook new investment in the US clean energy sector. By the end of 2025, nearly $35 billion in clean energy investments had been canceled or downsized nationwide, taking more than 38,000 current and future jobs with them, according to new tracking from E2.

New solar and wind capacity additions in November were the second highest in 2025 and accounted for 93% of that month’s total. Solar continues to dominate new capacity additions and has held the lead among all energy sources for 27 consecutive months, according to data released by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and reviewed by the SUN DAY Campaign.

Winter Storm Fern knocked out power for millions of people across the US and reignited a familiar political and media fight over what really causes large-scale outages during extreme weather. To separate the rhetoric from the operational reality, Electrek spoke with Leah Qusba, CEO of GoodPower, a research, strategic communications, and campaigning organization focused on advancing the global renewable energy transition.

In this Q&A, Qusba walks through what tends to fail first during major winter storms, what outage data shows about the role of wind, solar, and fossil generation during Fern, why fuel supply and winterization still matter more than the generation mix, and how coordinated disinformation campaigns exploit moments of uncertainty after grid emergencies and what works to counter them.

Solar, wind, and batteries are set to supply virtually all net new US generating capacity in 2026, according to EIA data reviewed by the SUN DAY Campaign, continuing their strong 2025 growth.

Europe’s power mix hit a tipping point in 2025. Wind and solar generated more electricity across the European Union than fossil fuels for the first time last year, according to Ember’s newly released European Electricity Review. Wind and solar supplied a record 30% of EU power, edging past fossil fuels at 29%.

Solar continues to dominate new capacity additions and has held the lead among all energy sources for 26 consecutive months. As a result, installed utility-scale solar capacity now exceeds wind capacity for the first time, according to data released by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and reviewed by the SUN DAY Campaign.

Ming Yang Smart Energy says it has rolled out what it’s calling the “world’s first fully recyclable carbon fiber wind turbine blade” — and it’s a big one.

Kawasaki and BladeRobots, a Vestas company, are using a crewless helicopter and a blade maintenance robot to automate one of the most challenging jobs in wind power: turbine blade maintenance.

During the first 10 months of 2025, solar and battery storage have dominated growth among competing energy sources. Further, all net new generating capacity in 2026 is forecast to be provided by renewable energy and batteries, according to data recently released by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reviewed by the SUN DAY Campaign.

After a sluggish stretch, US wind is heading into a pivotal moment, with a near-term rebound colliding with rising power demand, tariffs, and stubborn permitting bottlenecks.