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Global solar power generation surpassed nuclear generation in 2025 for the first time, according to the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2026. The report says solar output rose 30% while nuclear generation grew 1.1%; wind and solar each also exceeded nuclear output in multiple months from March 2025 through June 2026.
Global solar generation exceeded nuclear power generation in 2025 for the first time, according to the World Nuclear Industry Status Report (WNISR) 2026, marking a shift in the balance between two major sources of low-carbon electricity. Solar output rose 30% during the year, while nuclear generation increased 1.1%, the report says.
The report, overseen by French nuclear energy consultant Mycle Schneider, says wind first outgenerated nuclear in a single month in March 2025, followed by solar in April. From March 2025 through June 2026, at least one of the two renewable sources generated more electricity than nuclear in every month. In March, April and May 2026, both solar and wind independently exceeded nuclear output.
WNISR puts global solar capacity at 2,383 gigawatts at the end of 2025, after a 510 GW increase, or 27% year on year. Wind capacity grew by 159 GW to 1,291 GW, up 14%. Installed nuclear capacity increased by 1.5 GW to 399.5 GW, while operating capacity fell by 0.5 GW to 368.6 GW, according to the report.
The report’s solar installation estimate is conservative compared with another cited source. It says figures from the IEA Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA PVPS) indicate additions of around 690 GW in 2025, about 180 GW above WNISR’s estimate. That difference means the report’s capacity comparison may understate solar’s growth; it does not alter the report’s central finding about generation.
Renewables’ Faster Output Growth
The result reflects a difference in growth rates, not a claim that nuclear generation has disappeared or that solar supplies most global electricity. Nuclear plants generated 2,703 terawatt-hours in 2025, up 1.1%, while solar output climbed much faster. Nuclear’s share of global electricity fell to 8.8%, its lowest level in four and a half decades, the report says.
Rapid renewable expansion also increases the need to manage variable output and match electricity supply with demand. WNISR points to falling battery costs as one factor supporting further solar deployment. It reports that 104 GW of grid-scale batteries, with 257 gigawatt-hours of storage capacity, were connected in 2025. More than 78% of cumulative battery storage capacity had been installed between 2023 and 2025.
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Capacity Growth and Nuclear Output
The report describes nuclear expansion as concentrated in a small number of countries, especially China and Russia. Four reactors began supplying electricity in 2025 and seven closed, producing a net loss of three operating reactors for the year. China’s nuclear generation rose 7.6%; outside China, it declined 0.2% and remained below its 2006 level, according to WNISR.
There were 73 reactors under construction as of July 1, 2026, the highest total since 1987, with 37 in China. The report also says construction schedules remain lengthy: none of the 16 reactors connected to the grid from 2023 through 2025 was completed on schedule, and their average construction period was 10.9 years. Of 13 reactors scheduled to start generating in 2025, four did so.
These figures distinguish construction activity from electricity supplied. A reactor under construction does not yet contribute to generation, while capacity totals do not measure how much electricity plants produce over a year. The report’s comparison concerns actual generation as well as the separate trends in installed capacity.
“The reality of the nuclear industry on the ground is quite sobering for those who expected to find a booming sector.”
— Mycle Schneider, WNISR lead consultant, speaking to pv magazine
Limits of the Comparison
The supplied report summary does not provide the underlying monthly generation totals or explain their calculation methodology in detail. The headline finding is attributed to WNISR 2026, but independent verification of the full dataset is not included in the source material. Solar capacity estimates also differ: WNISR uses a lower figure than IEA PVPS for 2025 additions.
The annual comparison should not be read as evidence that solar exceeded nuclear in every country or that it has replaced nuclear as a source of firm electricity. The report gives global totals; national generation patterns and the ability of grids to balance variable supply differ. Its data also end at different points: annual generation figures refer to 2025, while the cited monthly comparison runs through June 2026.
Tracking Generation and Storage
The next useful comparison will be whether the monthly pattern reported through June 2026 continues in subsequent data, and how much solar and wind generation is paired with storage or other sources of dispatchable electricity. WNISR identifies battery deployment as a developing factor but does not establish how much it will change future generation rankings.
New nuclear projects may add capacity over time, but the report’s schedule record suggests that planned starts and construction pipelines should not be treated as electricity already available. Future annual generation data will show whether nuclear output accelerates and whether solar’s lead widens, narrows or changes as capacity, operating conditions and grid storage develop.
Key Questions
Did solar produce more electricity than nuclear in 2025?
Yes, according to WNISR 2026. The report says global solar generation surpassed nuclear generation for the first time in 2025, with solar output rising 30% and nuclear generation increasing 1.1%.
When did solar first exceed nuclear in a monthly comparison?
The report says solar exceeded nuclear in April 2025. Wind did so a month earlier, in March. At least one of the two sources outgenerated nuclear each month from March 2025 through June 2026.
Does this mean solar now supplies most of the world’s electricity?
No. The finding compares solar generation with nuclear generation. WNISR says nuclear supplied 8.8% of global electricity in 2025; the information provided does not give a solar share that would make solar the largest source overall.
Why do the report’s solar capacity figures differ from IEA PVPS?
WNISR uses a relatively conservative estimate of solar additions. It cites IEA PVPS figures indicating around 690 GW of PV additions in 2025, about 180 GW more than WNISR’s figure. The supplied material does not explain the full methodological difference.
Source: hn
