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Solar power generated more electricity globally than nuclear power in 2025, according to the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2026. The report says solar generation rose 30% while nuclear output increased 1.1%; monthly data also show solar exceeding nuclear in April 2025 and in every month from March 2025 through June 2026, either solar or wind did so.
Solar power generated more electricity than nuclear globally in 2025 for the first time, according to the World Nuclear Industry Status Report (WNISR) 2026. The report, overseen by nuclear industry consultant Mycle Schneider, says solar generation jumped 30% year on year while nuclear output rose 1.1%, marking a shift in the relative scale of the two sources of electricity.
The report says the crossover also appeared in monthly figures: wind generation exceeded nuclear in March 2025, followed by solar in April. From March 2025 through June 2026, at least one of the two renewable sources individually generated more electricity than nuclear each month. In March, April and May 2026, both solar and wind separately exceeded nuclear output.
Capacity figures show a widening difference in expansion. WNISR estimates that global solar capacity rose by 510 gigawatts to 2,383 GW in 2025, a 27% annual increase. Wind capacity grew by a record 159 GW to 1,291 GW, while installed nuclear capacity increased by 1.5 GW to 399.5 GW. The report says operating nuclear capacity declined by 0.5 GW, to 368.6 GW.
The solar capacity estimate is conservative compared with another dataset cited in the source report. IEA PVPS data put global photovoltaic additions at around 690 GW in 2025, roughly 180 GW above WNISR’s estimate. The datasets use different figures, so the comparison should not be read as a revision to the report itself; the higher additions would imply faster solar capacity growth than WNISR records.
Solar’s Growth Widens the Generation Gap
The figures matter because they describe both a change in the annual electricity mix and a difference in how quickly the technologies are expanding. Solar generation grew much faster than nuclear in 2025, while nuclear’s share of global electricity generation fell to 8.8%, its lowest level in four and a half decades, according to WNISR. The report puts the historical peak at 17.5% in 1996.
Rapid additions of solar and wind also increase the need to manage variable generation on power grids. WNISR points to battery storage as one tool: 104 GW and 257 gigawatt-hours of grid-scale battery capacity were connected in 2025. The report says more than 78% of cumulative battery energy-storage capacity had been installed between 2023 and 2025. Those figures indicate fast deployment, but do not establish that storage alone can address every grid or reliability challenge.
The contrast is relevant to planning and investment, but the generation comparison does not settle debates about the role of nuclear power. Annual output, installed capacity, construction pipelines and the ability to provide electricity at particular times are different measures. The report’s central finding is that solar’s annual global generation passed nuclear’s in 2025, not that the technologies are interchangeable in every power system.
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Nuclear Output and Construction Trends
WNISR reports that nuclear plants generated 2,703 terawatt-hours in 2025, up 1.1% from the previous year. That increase was largely driven by a 7.6% rise in China. Outside China, nuclear generation fell 0.2% and remained below its 2006 level. Four reactors began supplying electricity in 2025 while seven closed, producing a negative annual balance for operating reactor numbers.
The report describes nuclear construction as geographically concentrated and slow. As of July 1, 2026, it counted 73 reactors under construction, the highest total since 1987, with 37 in China. Nine out of 10 projects were in Asia or Eastern Europe. Of the 16 reactors connected to the grid between 2023 and 2025, none was completed on schedule; their average construction period was 10.9 years, according to WNISR.
Those figures sit alongside a growing pipeline and a record 12 construction starts in 2025, nine of them in China. The report says that of 52 reactor construction starts worldwide between 2020 and 2025, all but one involved Chinese or Russian nuclear industries, domestically or abroad. It also questions whether small modular reactors can meet long-standing commercial expectations, describing progress on deployment as limited despite government backing and public funding.
“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
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Estimates and Comparisons Still Differ
The figures are based on WNISR’s estimates and are subject to differences in data coverage and methodology. The source report specifically notes that its solar additions estimate is lower than IEA PVPS’s figure for 2025. The monthly generation comparison reported by WNISR runs through June 2026; the material provided does not give monthly figures beyond that point.
The annual crossover also does not show how generation was distributed by country, hour or season, and the supplied material does not provide those details. Nor does it quantify how much battery storage or other grid resources contributed to integrating new renewable generation. WNISR’s findings on construction delays and reactor performance are report conclusions; the source material does not include responses from nuclear industry representatives.
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Further Data Will Test the Trend
The next useful comparison will be updated annual generation data for 2026, alongside monthly figures after June, to show whether solar continues to exceed nuclear over a full year. Updated capacity estimates may also narrow or clarify the difference between WNISR and IEA PVPS figures for 2025.
For nuclear, the report’s construction pipeline offers milestones to watch, including whether projects under construction meet their planned grid-connection dates. Battery additions and their contribution to grid operations will also be relevant as solar and wind capacity expands. The source material does not identify a specific next release date for comparable generation data.
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Key Questions
Did solar surpass nuclear in annual electricity generation?
Yes. WNISR 2026 says global solar generation exceeded nuclear generation in 2025 for the first time.
When did solar first exceed nuclear in a monthly comparison?
The report says solar exceeded nuclear in April 2025. Wind had already surpassed nuclear in March 2025.
How fast did solar and nuclear generation grow in 2025?
WNISR says solar generation rose 30% year on year, while nuclear generation increased 1.1%. The nuclear increase was largely driven by China.
Does this mean nuclear power has stopped growing?
No. WNISR records a 1.1% increase in global nuclear generation in 2025 and a small rise in installed capacity. It says output declined outside China, while the global nuclear share of electricity fell to 8.8%.
Why do solar capacity figures differ between reports?
WNISR estimated 510 GW of solar capacity additions in 2025. IEA PVPS data cited in the source report put additions at around 690 GW. The supplied material does not detail the methodological differences behind the estimates.
Source: hn
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