In a historic first, the United States generated more electricity from renewable sources like solar and wind than from natural gas in March, according to data from the Ember thinktank. This milestone comes despite President Donald Trump's aggressive efforts to undermine clean energy, which he has repeatedly called a "scam" and "stupid."
While this represents just one month, it follows a record year for renewables in 2025. The pipeline of new power capacity coming online in the US this year is overwhelmingly green: 93% of all electricity capacity added in 2026 will come from solar, wind, and batteries, with only 7% from fossil fuels.
Court Battles and Market Forces
The relentless pace of renewable deployment continues even as the Trump administration's attempts to stymie the industry have faced repeated legal setbacks. Last week, a federal court in Massachusetts blocked several anti-renewable actions, including bans on solar and wind projects on federal land. This follows the resumption of five major offshore wind farms that the administration had ordered to halt.
"There is no truth to the death of the clean energy industry in the United States – in fact, just the opposite," said Peter Davidson, CEO of Aligned Climate Capital. He pointed to growing electric vehicle sales and escalating renewable deployment as evidence of the sector's strength. Wind, solar, and batteries are now far cheaper and quicker to construct than gas and coal plants, creating a market "tipping point" that Trump cannot reverse, Davidson added.
Political Shifts and Public Opinion
Even among Republicans, attitudes toward clean energy appear to be shifting. A February poll by Trump's chief pollster found that more than two-thirds of Republican voters support solar power. Leah Qusba, CEO of GoodPower, noted that only 40% of Republican voters approve of Trump's handling of rising energy costs. "That's a huge red flag for the Trump administration," she said. "The momentum is undeniable."
Despite the administration's hostility, clean energy advocates remain cautiously optimistic. Jon Power, co-founder of CleanCapital, said, "I'm not nearly as pessimistic as I was last summer. The administration way overplayed their hand." However, he acknowledged that the fossil fuel industry still wields outsized political influence. "The fossil industry has built this ecosystem politically; they are playing in the Super Bowl and we're still playing middle league football," Power said. "We over-relied on being the right thing for too long versus making the business case. The good news is that business case is now super strong."
Global Context and Future Outlook
On the same day Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Congress that "coal is critically important to the world," Ember released a report showing that renewable energy overtook coal as the world's largest source of electricity last year. Solar panel exports from China have hit new records, and global electric car sales are booming. The war in Iran has further pushed countries to accelerate their transition away from volatile oil and gas markets, according to International Energy Agency head Fatih Birol.
"There will be a significant boost to renewables and nuclear power and a further shift towards a more electrified future," Birol said. Interest in electric vehicles has also spiked in the US amid rising gasoline costs due to the war. Qusba remarked, "I think the American people are so sick of importing this volatility into their lives."
While challenges remain, including grid connection delays and political uncertainty, the clean energy industry is far from defeated. As Power concluded, "They cannot change the trajectory. The battle for the generation of electricity is over, and renewables and storage have won."
