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The World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2026 says global solar generation surpassed nuclear generation for the first time in 2025, with monthly solar output first exceeding nuclear in April. Solar generation rose 30% that year, while nuclear generation increased 1.1%; the report also records fast growth in wind and battery storage. The finding describes electricity generation, not installed capacity, and its solar capacity estimate is lower than a separate IEA PVPS estimate cited by pv magazine.
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 says solar generation rose 30% during the year, while nuclear output grew 1.1%, marking a shift in the relative contribution of the two technologies to global electricity supply.
The report, overseen by French nuclear energy consultant Mycle Schneider, says wind first surpassed nuclear generation in a monthly comparison in March 2025, followed by solar in April. From March 2025 through June 2026, at least one of the two renewable sources generated more electricity than nuclear each month. Both solar and wind individually exceeded nuclear output in March, April and May 2026.
For 2025, WNISR puts global solar capacity additions at 510 gigawatts, bringing installed capacity to 2,383 GW, a 27% year-on-year increase. Wind added a record 159 GW, reaching 1,291 GW. The report says installed nuclear capacity increased by 1.5 GW to 399.5 GW, while operating nuclear capacity fell by 0.5 GW to 368.6 GW. These are capacity figures, distinct from the generation comparison at the centre of the report.
The solar capacity estimate is conservative compared with another figure cited by pv magazine: IEA PVPS put 2025 global photovoltaic additions at about 690 GW, roughly 180 GW above WNISR’s estimate. That difference concerns capacity additions; it does not change the report’s stated generation comparison. WNISR says nuclear plants generated 2,703 terawatt-hours in 2025, up 1.1% from the previous year, while nuclear’s share of global electricity fell to 8.8%.
Renewables Widen the Generation Gap
The result reflects a difference in growth rates between technologies, not a sudden collapse in nuclear generation. Solar output rose sharply while nuclear generation increased only modestly. That matters because the global electricity mix is changing as new solar and wind capacity comes online faster than nuclear plants are being added or completed, according to the report.
Growing renewable generation also increases the importance of managing fluctuations in supply. WNISR points to battery storage as one tool for absorbing electricity when production is high and supplying it later. It reports that 104 GW of grid-scale battery power capacity, equivalent to 257 gigawatt-hours of storage, was connected in 2025. More than 78% of cumulative battery energy storage capacity had been installed between 2023 and 2025, the report says.
The figures do not establish that solar can replace nuclear in every grid or at every hour. They show that solar’s annual global electricity contribution passed nuclear’s in the period measured, while system-level effects depend on when power is produced, storage, transmission and local demand.
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Nuclear Growth Remains Concentrated
WNISR describes nuclear expansion as slow and geographically concentrated, with much new activity in China and Russia. Four reactors began supplying electricity in 2025 and seven closed, producing the first negative annual reactor balance since 2021. China’s nuclear generation rose 7.6%; outside China, it declined 0.2% and remained below its 2006 level, according to the report.
The construction pipeline is larger than the annual start-up figures alone suggest. WNISR counted 73 reactors under construction as of July 1, 2026, the highest total since 1987, including 37 in China. But it also reports delays: none of the 16 reactors connected to the grid between 2023 and 2025 finished on schedule, and their average construction period was 10.9 years. Of 13 units scheduled to start generating in 2025, four did so.
These comparisons concern different measures and time spans. The annual generation result compares electricity produced in 2025; installed capacity records the maximum output facilities could provide under specified conditions. The report’s operating-reactor count and capacity figures are dated July 1, 2026, rather than the end of 2025.
“The reality of the nuclear industry on the ground is quite sobering for those who expected to find a booming sector.”
— Mycle Schneider, WNISR lead, speaking to pv magazine
Estimates and Comparisons Have Limits
The supplied report summary does not provide the underlying monthly generation totals, the data series used for each technology, or a detailed methodology for the annual comparison. Readers therefore cannot determine from these figures alone how large the 2025 generation gap was. The reported solar capacity additions also vary by source: WNISR cites 510 GW, while pv magazine cites IEA PVPS at about 690 GW.
The report’s figures describe global totals, which can conceal major differences among countries and regions. It is also not clear from the supplied material how revisions to generation data or the treatment of plant outages could affect the precise comparisons. The broad claim that solar surpassed nuclear in 2025 is attributed to WNISR; the article does not independently verify its dataset.
Storage and Construction in Focus
Further detail on renewable generation, battery deployment and nuclear projects will help show whether the gap continues to widen. The monthly figures in the report already extend through June 2026, but the supplied material does not give later monthly results or a forecast for the rest of the year.
For nuclear, the next indicators include whether reactors under construction meet revised schedules and whether planned projects move into construction. For solar and wind, future additions and output will help establish whether rapid capacity growth translates into sustained generation gains. Battery deployment and grid capacity will also shape how much variable renewable electricity can be integrated and used.
Key Questions
What did solar surpass nuclear in?
Electricity generation: WNISR says solar produced more electricity globally than nuclear in 2025. The finding is about energy generated over the year, not installed capacity.
When did solar first exceed nuclear in a monthly comparison?
According to WNISR 2026, solar generation first exceeded nuclear generation in April 2025. Wind had passed nuclear in a monthly comparison the month before.
How did nuclear generation change in 2025?
The report says nuclear plants generated 2,703 TWh in 2025, a 1.1% increase year on year. Output rose in China but declined 0.2% outside China, according to WNISR.
Why do solar capacity estimates differ?
WNISR reports 510 GW of solar capacity additions in 2025, while pv magazine cites an IEA PVPS estimate of about 690 GW. The supplied material describes WNISR’s figure as relatively conservative but does not detail the methodological differences between estimates.
Does this mean solar can replace nuclear everywhere?
No such conclusion follows from the global annual comparison alone. The result measures total electricity generated worldwide; the ability to meet demand depends on local supply patterns, grids, storage and other sources of electricity.
Source: hn
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