by SueEllen Campbell, Yale Climate Connections
June 19, 2026
Those who follow global news about renewable energy will know that solar energy around the world continues to grow apace. Those who don’t should be encouraged by the stories below.
All but one of the articles in this list were published in spring 2026. Though the specifics change — along with such things as tariffs, taxes, rebates, wars, and blockades — the underlying plot remains positive.
Stories that capture the big picture
“Solar is winning the energy race.” Gero Rueter, DW, March 28, 2026. An interesting timeline history of the development and expansion of solar power, with this subhead: “The world’s cheapest power source is scaling at warp speed, pushing coal, gas and nuclear aside.”
“Global Electricity Review 2026.” Nicolas Fulghum, Wilmar Suarez, Katye Altieri, and Kostantsa Rangelova, Ember, April 21, 2026. There is tons of data here, but the homepage offers highlights, an executive summary, and key takeaways. Sample sentences: “Record solar growth meant clean power sources grew fast enough to meet all new electricity demand in 2025, thereby preventing an increase in fossil generation,” and “Global solar generation is now the same size as the total electricity demand of the EU.”
- For a good summary of this report, see “Renewable energies overtook global electricity demand last year, led by solar growth in China, India.” Alexa St. John, AP, April 21, 2026.
- For a longer geek out, consult the April 22, 2026, episode of David Roberts’ ever-interesting podcast, Volts, “The big stories from the last year in electricity” — a conversation between Roberts and Ember report authors Fulghum and Rangelova (1+ hour audio and transcript).
China vs U.S.
“Drill, baby, drill? US, China fight for the future of energy.” Thomas Kohlmann, DW, April 26, 2026. A good account of this geopolitical competition, with the U.S. pushing oil & gas and China betting on solar power. For more, with a bit of added climate-change context, see “China cashes in on clean energy as Trump clings to coal.” Sara Steffen, DW, February 23, 2026.
Tariffs + blockades = surging solar exports from China
“Africa’s solar power revolution driven by China’s investment.” David Ehl & Privilege Musvanhiri, DW, November 25, 2025. Thanks in large part to Trump’s tariff wars, Africa enjoyed a large but temporary influx of affordable solar panels from China.
“Chinese solar exports double in a month to hit record high amid energy crisis.” Ember, April 23, 2026. This time, the U.S. war with Iran and the blockades of the Straits of Hormuz are the main factors in this export surge. This article includes a map of countries that reached either their all-time or six-month records for solar imports from China (including the U.S.).
Renewable energy in the U.S.
Despite strong headwinds, some progress is still being made in the US. To focus on those headwinds, see “US renewable energy to attract $120 billion in investment this year.” Catherine Boudreau, Latitude Media, April 28, 2026. The subhead: “Trump’s permit delays and looming restrictions on China-linked components risk chilling investments.” To focus on the progress, see Climate Central’s analysis of solar and wind energy in 2025, based on the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s data. For instance, “Together, solar and wind accounted for a record 19% of total U.S. electricity generation in 2025.”
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