Solar overtook coal in US generation for the first time, accounted for 91% of new grid capacity alongside storage, and American battery factories started retooling from EVs to grid storage — all in the same week that global solar demand was projected to decline for the first time in two decades. The bottom line: the energy transition's supply side has won the economics argument, but the demand side just hit its first speed bump, and whether storage investment can absorb the slack will define the next phase.
Solar contributed 12.8% of US electricity generation in May 2026, overtaking coal in a calendar month for the first time.
New US grid additions in Q1 2026 were dominated by solar and battery storage at 91% combined, with 7.8 GW of solar installed.
A Benchmark Minerals analysis found nearly 10 GWh of stationary storage capacity installed in Q1 2026 alone, with US manufacturers actively retooling.
Chile's president attended the inauguration of one of the largest operational storage installations in South America.
The world's largest battery manufacturer expects energy storage to account for 50% of revenue by 2030, up from roughly 20%.
The fusion startup with a Microsoft power purchase agreement nearly tripled its valuation in under 18 months.
Six battery projects totalling 1,334 MW and 5,336 MWh were awarded long-term contracts, displacing gas peakers.
BloombergNEF projected solar deployment will fall in 2026 — the first year-on-year decline in over twenty years.
A certified efficiency record using improved laser processing that advances both efficiency and manufacturing scalability.
Co-developing sodium-ion cells for large-scale stationary storage targeting data centres and factories, with deployments expected after 2028.
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