Solar Power Beats Coal And Gas With BOTH Hands Tied Behind Its Back

Solar power in the U.S. now generates enough electricity to cover 50 million households, according to federal energy data, and it's growing faster than any other power source despite federal policy that favors coal, gas, and other fuels over wind and solar. The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects utility-scale solar generation to grow 21% this year and 18% next year, with small-scale solar (like rooftop systems) adding a bit more on top. Coal use at power plants is expected to drop 8% this year and 6% next, while natural gas growth stays slow because of a years-long backlog in building new gas turbines.

Much of solar's progress comes from cheaper silicon panels and thin-film cadmium telluride cells, a domestically made technology the Department of Energy is backing with research funding aimed at pushing costs down and efficiency up. Newer materials called perovskites, often paired with silicon in "tandem" cells, are also in development to boost performance further.

None of this changes rebates or incentives available to homeowners right now, but it points to solar becoming cheaper and more common on the grid overall. Separately, solar and clean-energy groups have started spending heavily on political campaigns, backing candidates seen as friendly to renewable energy in states like Texas and Nevada, a sign the industry expects future policy fights over incentives and grid rules to matter for how fast solar keeps growing.