TL;DR
Prime made for students and young adults
- Fast, free delivery for dorm and study essentials
- Prime Video and Amazon Music included
- Member-only deals
Solar power generated more electricity globally than nuclear power in 2025, according to the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2026. The report says the change came as solar output rose sharply while nuclear generation grew modestly, and solar and wind each outgenerated nuclear in every month from March 2025 through June 2026.
Global solar electricity generation surpassed nuclear generation in 2025 for the first time, according to the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2026, marking a shift in the relative scale of two major power sources. Solar generation rose 30% during the year, while nuclear output increased 1.1%, the report says.
The report, overseen by French nuclear energy consultant Mycle Schneider, says wind first exceeded nuclear generation in a single month in March 2025, followed by solar in April. From March 2025 through June 2026, either solar or wind individually generated more electricity than nuclear each month. Both sources separately outgenerated nuclear in March, April and May 2026.
The report estimates that global solar capacity grew by 510 gigawatts to 2,383 GW in 2025, a 27% rise. Wind capacity increased by a record 159 GW to 1,291 GW. Installed nuclear capacity, by comparison, rose by 1.5 GW to 399.5 GW, while operating nuclear capacity fell by 0.5 GW to 368.6 GW, according to the report.
Those solar capacity figures may understate additions. The report uses a relatively conservative estimate; data from IEA PVPS put global photovoltaic additions at about 690 GW in 2025, around 180 GW above the WNISR figure. The two sources use different estimates, so the higher figure should not be treated as the report’s own finding.
Solar’s Lead Reflects Faster Growth
The change matters because the comparison captures not just how much electricity each source produced, but how quickly their roles are changing. In 2025, solar generation grew far faster than nuclear output, while solar and wind capacity additions substantially outpaced nuclear capacity growth. That trend may affect how governments, utilities and investors plan new generating capacity.
Rapid renewable expansion also increases the need to manage electricity supply that varies with weather and time of day. WNISR points to falling battery costs and rapid storage deployment as factors that could support further solar growth. It reports that 104 GW of grid-scale battery capacity, with 257 GWh of energy capacity, was connected in 2025. More than 78% of cumulative battery storage capacity had been installed from 2023 through 2025.
The figures do not show that nuclear power has stopped growing everywhere or that it has been replaced. Nuclear remains a source of large-scale electricity, but its share of global generation fell to 8.8% in 2025, according to WNISR, while solar’s output increased quickly. The comparison is a measure of generation in a given period, not a judgment about the reliability, cost or emissions of each technology.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Nuclear Growth Remains Uneven
WNISR reports that nuclear plants generated 2,703 terawatt-hours in 2025, up 1.1% from the previous year. Growth was concentrated in China, where nuclear generation rose 7.6%; outside China, output declined 0.2% and remained below its 2006 level. Nuclear’s global share of electricity generation was at its lowest in four and a half decades, the report says.
New construction is also concentrated geographically. As of July 1, 2026, 73 reactors were under construction, the highest count since 1987, with 37 in China. The report says nine in 10 reactors under construction were in Asia or Eastern Europe. Four reactors began supplying electricity in 2025, while seven closed, producing the first negative annual balance of reactor openings and closures since 2021.
Construction timelines remain a central challenge, according to the report. None of the 16 reactors connected to the grid from 2023 to 2025 was completed on schedule; their average construction period was 10.9 years. Of 13 reactors scheduled to start generating in 2025, four did so. These figures describe project delivery and should be read separately from the annual generation comparison.
“The reality of the nuclear industry on the ground is quite sobering for those who expected to find a booming sector.”
— Mycle Schneider, WNISR overseer, speaking to pv magazine
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Capacity Estimates Differ
The report’s headline comparison concerns electricity generated during 2025; capacity figures measure installed or operating equipment and are not the same metric. The source material does not provide the underlying monthly generation totals, so the precise size of solar’s annual lead over nuclear cannot be established from the figures cited here.
Solar additions also vary by data source: WNISR estimates 510 GW, while IEA PVPS data cited by pv magazine indicate about 690 GW. The article does not provide enough detail to reconcile the methodologies. The report’s discussion of small modular reactors also questions whether they can meet longstanding commercial promises, but the supplied material ends before giving its full evidence or a detailed assessment of specific projects.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Storage and New Projects Ahead
Future data will show whether solar and wind continue to outgenerate nuclear month by month and whether the 2025 annual comparison persists. Battery deployment is a key indicator to watch: the report identifies storage as one way to help grids manage growing volumes of variable renewable generation, including during periods of low or negative electricity prices.
For nuclear, the next signs will include whether reactors under construction meet planned schedules, whether projects outside China and Russia advance, and whether proposed small modular reactors move from public support and plans toward operating plants. The supplied report summary does not give a confirmed timetable for those developments.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
Did solar surpass nuclear in annual generation or capacity?
The report says solar surpassed nuclear in electricity generation in 2025. It separately compares installed capacity, which is a different measure.
When did solar first outgenerate nuclear in a month?
According to WNISR 2026, solar generation exceeded nuclear in April 2025. Wind did so a month earlier, in March.
Did solar and wind outgenerate nuclear every month after that?
The report says either solar or wind individually generated more than nuclear each month from March 2025 through June 2026. Both independently exceeded nuclear in March, April and May 2026.
How fast did nuclear generation grow in 2025?
Global nuclear generation rose 1.1% year over year to 2,703 TWh, according to the report. Output increased in China and declined slightly outside China.
Why do the solar capacity estimates differ?
WNISR used an estimate of 510 GW of solar additions in 2025. IEA PVPS data cited by pv magazine put additions at about 690 GW. The supplied material describes the WNISR figure as conservative but does not detail the methodologies behind the difference.
Source: hn
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
