Clean, Sustainable & Renewable Energy Power Source's Worldwide & in the U.S.

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☀️ Axios interview: Solar over wind

Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photo: Thomas Kronsteiner/Getty Images

Energy Secretary Chris Wright — in an exclusive interview with Axios' Amy Harder and Ben Geman for today's launch of Axios Future of Energy — said he sees a brighter future for solar power than wind, an energy source President Trump famously dislikes. Why it matters: Wright is powerful in Trump 2.0 — a point man for the White House "dominance" agenda on fossil fuels, powering AI data centers, and shredding Biden-era climate playbooks. ?️ Zoom in: "Solar will continue to grow," Wright said, responding to a question about whether solar and wind play a part in the "energy dominance" agenda. Wright cited solar's "energy density" edge over wind: "It's cheaper, faster to assemble. ... It has a role." "Wind, with the end of subsidies, you probably don't see a lot of wind get built," Wright said. Full interview ...

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☀️ Stat du jour: Renewable power milestone

Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios

Worldwide solar and wind power have grown faster than electricity demand growth this year, AP writes from a report by the energy think tank Ember. For the first time on record, renewable energies combined generated more power than coal. Global solar (+31%) and wind (+7.7%) generation combined grew by more than 400 terawatt hours in the first half of 2025 — more than overall global demand increased in the same period. Explore the data.

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? Clean-energy investment record

Data: Rhodium Group. Chart: Axios Visuals Consumers scrambling to take advantage of expiring tax credits for electric cars drove a record-breaking $75 billion quarter of U.S. clean-energy investments, Axios' Amy Harder writes from a report by the Rhodium Group and MIT. Reality check: This is poised to be a high-water mark for such investments, since a rush to beat expiring tax credits only happens once.

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Hidden clean energy

There’s not much to see in the western Nevada desert beyond the expanse of sand, dotted by sagebrush flats and surrounded by craggy mountains. But beneath the desert’s dry surface lies a massive reservoir of hot water that could be the first of many hidden sources of clean energy.

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🔋 Renewables get war boost

Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios Early signs are emerging that the energy shock tied to the Iran war could boost the global spread of renewables and other climate-friendly tech, Axios' Ben Geman writes. 🏭 Global power generation from fossil fuels was down in the first month of the conflict, per the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Solar and wind power were up. (See the data.) 🪨 The other side: Research and consulting firm Wood Mackenzie says war-related disruptions are "triggering a rebound" in global coal demand as countries scramble to make up for natural gas shortages. Go deeper.

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Clean energy gets Iran boost

Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios There's new evidence that the Iran war is boosting global clean energy uptake, Axios' Ben Geman reports. 🇨🇳 China's solar exports soared in March, per think tank Ember and energy research firm BloombergNEF. 🇰🇷 South Korea's domestic EV sales more than doubled last month year over year, Bloomberg reports. Solar panel imports were up nearly 140%. 🇪🇺 March EV sales also surged in the EU, with larger year over year growth than in either of the prior two months. European leaders say they're going to get even more aggressive on electrification. Reality check: Solar and EVs were already growing fast in many places, making it tough to suss out the war's true impact. Coal is also rising in some places, like South Korea. 🛢️ Some countries are sticking with oil and gas, but importing it from regions outside the Gulf. Norway is reopening North Sea gas fields, while U.S. oil and petroleum exports have surged amid the war. The bottom line: Tatiana Mitrova, a fellow at Columbia's Center on Global Energy Policy, tells Axios that it's "still too early to say that the Iran war is clearly accelerating the whole transition." "But there are already concrete signs that it's making solar, storage and electrification-related choices more attractive through an energy-security lens." Go deeper.

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☀️ Solar boom state

Data: U.S. Energy Information Administration; Chart: Ben Geman/Axios Utility-scale solar power generation is expected to soar past coal-fired power in Texas this year, Ben Geman reports from new Energy Information Administration data. The heart of the nation's oil-and-gas industry is also renewables country, thanks to abundant resources, developer-friendly rules, rising demand and more. 🔌 The chart above shows the trend in areas covered by ERCOT, which operates most of Texas' power grid. Texas will be home to 40% of all new U.S. solar capacity this year, per the EIA's projections. See the data.

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☀️ Chart du jour

Data: Ember. Chart: Ben Geman/Axios Solar energy's share of the U.S. electricity mix was 12.8% last month, Axios energy expert Ben Geman tells us. Why it matters: It's the first time solar outpaced coal on a monthly basis, according to clean energy think tank Ember's analysis. Go deeper. ps:This is something that should've happen years ago!!! We wouldn't be in this mess if we had!!!