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The World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2026 says global solar generation surpassed nuclear generation for the first time in 2025, while wind had already moved ahead on a monthly basis. Solar and wind each generated more electricity than nuclear in every month from March 2025 through June 2026, according to the report. Nuclear generation rose modestly, but its share of global electricity fell to 8.8%.
Global solar power generation surpassed nuclear generation in 2025 for the first time, according to the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2026, marking a shift in the relative contribution of the two electricity sources. The report says solar output grew 30% during the year, while nuclear generation rose 1.1%.
The report, overseen by French nuclear energy consultant Mycle Schneider, says wind power first exceeded nuclear generation on a monthly basis in March 2025, followed by solar in April. From March 2025 through June 2026, either wind or solar individually generated more electricity than nuclear each month. In March, April and May 2026, both sources separately exceeded nuclear output.
Installed solar capacity increased by 510 gigawatts (GW) in 2025 to 2,383 GW, a 27% year-on-year rise, the report estimates. Wind capacity added a record 159 GW, reaching 1,291 GW. Installed nuclear capacity rose by 1.5 GW to 399.5 GW, while capacity at operating nuclear plants fell by 0.5 GW to 368.6 GW. These figures describe capacity, not electricity generated.
The report’s solar capacity estimate is conservative compared with data from the International Energy Agency’s Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme, which put 2025 global photovoltaic additions at about 690 GW—roughly 180 GW above the WNISR figure. The sources use different estimates; the higher figure would imply faster solar capacity additions, but does not alter the report’s stated generation comparison.
The generation milestone reflects how quickly solar has expanded relative to nuclear, rather than a sudden decline in nuclear output worldwide. Solar generation increased 30% in 2025, while nuclear output rose by 1.1%, according to the report. Nuclear’s share of global electricity fell to 8.8%, its lowest level in 45 years, compared with a peak of 17.5% in 1996.
The shift matters for power systems because growing solar and wind output changes when and where electricity is available. The report points to falling battery costs and rapid storage deployment as factors that could help grids manage variable renewable generation. It records 104 GW and 257 gigawatt-hours of grid-scale battery storage connected in 2025. That is a capacity addition, not a measure of electricity supplied over the year.
The figures also frame a difference in the pace of expansion. Solar and wind capacity grew quickly in 2025, while nuclear capacity changed little by comparison. The report says nuclear generation increased in China but declined slightly outside China, indicating that the global total masks different regional trends.
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Nuclear’s Uneven Expansion
WNISR counts 411 operating reactors in 31 countries as of July 1, 2026, excluding 30 units in long-term outage. Its reported operating capacity was 374.7 GW. Nuclear plants generated 2,703 terawatt-hours in 2025, up 1.1% year on year; China’s generation increased 7.6%, while generation elsewhere declined 0.2%.
Four reactors began supplying electricity in 2025 and seven closed, the first negative annual balance since 2021, the report says. The longer record is also geographically concentrated: between 2006 and 2025, China accounted for 53 reactor start-ups and no closures. The report says nuclear capacity outside China fell by almost 30.7 GW over that period, even as global capacity increased.
There were 73 reactors under construction as of July 1, the highest total since 1987, including 37 in China. But projects often take years to finish: the report says the 16 reactors connected to the grid from 2023 to 2025 took an average of 10.9 years to build, and none met its original schedule. Of 13 reactors expected to start generating in 2025, four did so.
“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
Estimates and Regional Differences
The generation milestone is reported by WNISR 2026; the supplied report summary does not provide a separate, independently reconciled dataset for the solar-versus-nuclear comparison. Solar capacity figures also vary by source: WNISR uses 510 GW of additions for 2025, while IEA PVPS data cited by pv magazine indicate about 690 GW. Those figures should not be treated as directly interchangeable without further detail on methods and coverage.
The global result also does not mean nuclear generation fell everywhere. WNISR reports growth in China and a 0.2% decline outside China. The report’s assessment of limited commercial progress on small modular reactors is included in the source material, but the supplied excerpt ends before its supporting detail; no further SMR findings can be established here.
Monthly comparisons are available through June 2026 in the report summary, but the supplied material does not give monthly generation totals or the underlying calculation method. It also does not establish how future output will change as new solar, storage and nuclear projects enter service.
Tracking Output and New Projects
The next useful measure will be whether solar and wind continue to exceed nuclear generation in monthly data after June 2026, and how those comparisons develop over a full year. Updated generation and capacity figures from WNISR and other energy agencies can clarify how much the milestone depends on revised estimates.
For nuclear, the report’s construction pipeline—73 reactors under construction as of July 1, 2026—will be judged by how many projects reach the grid, when they do so and whether costs and schedules meet expectations. For solar and wind, continued expansion will make grid connections, storage deployment and the handling of periods of surplus or low-priced power relevant to the next round of comparisons.
Key Questions
Did solar surpass nuclear in electricity generation or installed capacity?
Electricity generation. WNISR 2026 says solar produced more electricity than nuclear globally in 2025 for the first time. The report separately compares installed capacity, measured in gigawatts.
When did solar first exceed nuclear output?
The report says solar generation first exceeded nuclear on a monthly basis in April 2025. Wind had moved ahead a month earlier, in March.
Does this mean nuclear power generation is falling worldwide?
No. WNISR says global nuclear generation rose 1.1% in 2025, mainly because output in China increased. Generation outside China declined by 0.2%.
How much did solar capacity grow in 2025?
WNISR estimates solar capacity additions at 510 GW, taking total capacity to 2,383 GW. IEA PVPS figures cited by pv magazine put additions at about 690 GW, so estimates differ by source.
What could help grids manage more solar and wind?
The report points to battery storage as one possible support for grids managing variable renewable generation. It records 104 GW of grid-scale storage capacity connected in 2025, alongside 257 GWh of energy capacity.
Source: hn
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