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The World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2026 says solar generation surpassed nuclear generation globally for the first time in 2025. It reports that solar and wind each generated more electricity than nuclear in every month from March 2025 through June 2026, while nuclear’s global share fell to 8.8%.
Solar generation surpassed nuclear power globally in 2025, according to the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2026, marking the first time solar produced more electricity over a full year than the nuclear fleet. The report says the crossover reflects sharply different growth rates: global solar generation rose 30% in 2025, while nuclear output increased 1.1%.
The report, overseen by French nuclear energy consultant Mycle Schneider, says wind first exceeded nuclear output on a monthly basis in March 2025, followed by solar in April. From March 2025 through June 2026, either solar or wind individually generated more electricity than nuclear in every month. In March, April and May 2026, both sources separately outproduced nuclear.
Capacity figures in the report also show a widening gap. Global solar capacity rose by 510 gigawatts to 2,383 GW in 2025, an annual increase of 27%. Wind added a record 159 GW, reaching 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 may be conservative. The report cites IEA PVPS data indicating that global photovoltaic additions reached about 690 GW in 2025, roughly 180 GW above the figure WNISR used. Those figures have different sources and methodologies, so the report’s capacity comparison should not be treated as a single harmonized measurement.
Renewables Pull Ahead in Output Growth
The shift matters because it signals a change in the mix of global electricity generation, not just a difference in newly installed capacity. Solar’s annual output growth outpaced nuclear’s, while nuclear’s share of global electricity fell to 8.8% in 2025, its lowest level in four and a half decades, according to the report. That was down from a peak of 17.5% in 1996.
Rapid renewable growth also increases the need to manage generation that varies with weather and time of day. WNISR points to expanding battery storage as one response: 104 GW and 257 gigawatt-hours of grid-scale battery capacity were connected in 2025. More than 78% of cumulative battery energy-storage capacity had been installed between 2023 and 2025, the report says. Storage can help balance supply, though the figures alone do not establish how much it reduced grid constraints or electricity prices.
The comparison does not show that solar has replaced nuclear across every country or that the two sources provide identical services. It does show that, on the report’s global generation figures, solar moved ahead annually while nuclear’s output growth remained modest. The pace and location of future additions will shape how power systems meet demand and maintain reliable supply.
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A Long-Running Nuclear Capacity Stagnation
WNISR describes nuclear capacity as essentially flat for more than 25 years, while solar and wind expanded quickly. In 2025, nuclear plants generated 2,703 terawatt-hours, up 1.1% from the previous year. China’s nuclear output rose 7.6%; outside China, it fell 0.2% and remained below its 2006 level.
The report’s reactor counts illustrate the uneven geography of the sector. Four reactors began supplying electricity in 2025 and seven shut, creating a negative annual balance for the first time since 2021. China accounted for 53 of 104 reactor start-ups recorded from 2006 to 2025 and had no closures in that period; outside China, the report counts a net decline of 55 reactors.
There is still substantial construction activity, but it is concentrated. As of July 1, 2026, 73 reactors were under construction, the highest total since 1987, with 37 in China. The report also cites long project schedules: none of 16 reactors connected to the grid from 2023 to 2025 finished on schedule, and their average construction period was 10.9 years. These figures are the report’s assessment of the nuclear pipeline, not a forecast of how much electricity those projects will ultimately deliver.
“The reality of the nuclear industry on the ground is quite sobering for those who expected to find a booming sector.”
— Mycle Schneider, overseer of WNISR 2026, speaking to pv magazine
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Limits of the Generation Comparison
The supplied report summary does not provide the full underlying monthly generation series, its complete calculation methods, or the detailed treatment of data revisions. The annual finding and monthly crossover are attributed to WNISR 2026; the available material does not allow an independent reconstruction of those totals.
Solar capacity additions are especially sensitive to the source used: WNISR’s estimate is about 510 GW, while IEA PVPS data cited by the report put 2025 additions at around 690 GW. The report says its figure is conservative, but the source material does not explain all methodological differences between the estimates. It is also not clear from the supplied material how the solar-nuclear generation comparison varies by region, or how the relative contributions may change as new plants and storage are added.
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Future Data Will Test the Trend
The next relevant evidence will be updated annual and monthly electricity-generation data showing whether solar continues to exceed nuclear and how the gap changes. Readers should also watch for revised solar installation estimates, which could alter capacity comparisons, and for changes in nuclear output as reactors enter service or shut down.
Battery deployment and the progress of projects under construction will help clarify how quickly each source can add usable electricity to power systems. WNISR reports a large nuclear construction pipeline, but its schedule record shows delays are common; the report also describes solar and storage expansion as rapid. The supplied material does not set out a specific next milestone or forecast for when those projects will materially affect the global generation balance.
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Key Questions
What does it mean that solar surpassed nuclear?
According to WNISR 2026, solar generated more electricity globally than nuclear over the full year 2025. The report also says solar exceeded nuclear in monthly generation beginning in April 2025.
Did solar exceed nuclear every month in 2025?
The report says wind exceeded nuclear in March 2025 and solar did so in April. It states that either solar or wind outgenerated nuclear in every month from March 2025 through June 2026; that does not mean solar alone did so in every month.
How fast did solar and nuclear output grow in 2025?
WNISR reports that global solar generation increased by 30% in 2025, while nuclear generation rose by 1.1%. The report says nuclear growth was driven largely by a 7.6% increase in China, as output outside China declined 0.2%.
Does the report say nuclear power is disappearing?
No. The report says 73 reactors were under construction as of July 1, 2026. Its finding is that nuclear generation grew more slowly than solar and that nuclear’s share of global electricity fell to 8.8% in 2025.
Why do the solar capacity estimates differ?
WNISR used an estimate of 510 GW of solar additions in 2025, while IEA PVPS data cited in the report indicate around 690 GW. The supplied material describes the WNISR figure as conservative but does not detail all differences in data collection and methodology.
Source: hn
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