The current administration has essentially declared war on renewable energy. President Trump stated recently that his administration will not approve solar or wind power projects. Renewable companies are unlikely to receive permits that were once a normal course of business. Now, the United States is likely to struggle to meet its growing demand for electricity while the world moves ahead with solar power.
Solar power is the fastest-growing source of electricity worldwide. Installations are up 64% in the first half of this year. During that period, countries installed 380 gigawatts of solar power, compared with 232 gigawatts in 2024.
China is the main source of the growth. It installed more than twice as much solar in the first half of the year as it did in the first half of 2024. Under tremendous administration pressure, the U.S. saw solar installations rise by just 4% year over year.
China’s exporting of low-cost solar panels is driving growth of solar elsewhere, including India and much of Africa.
China is at a crossroads with energy technology. For the first time, solar power is not just supplementing coal power, but replacing it. As a result, Chinese policymakers need to choose between propping up coal – which is an important industry in many cities – and doubling down on renewables, which are a major driver of the country’s economic growth.
The U.S. is currently headed in the direction of trying to prop up the fossil fuel industry and gut the renewable energy industry, with little or no regard for either the economic or environmental consequences.
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Global Solar Installations Up 64 Percent So Far This Year
Photo, posted April 6, 2025, courtesy of Pencils for Kids via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio
