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Ember data cited by the BBC show that global solar electricity generation narrowly exceeded nuclear generation in 2025. Solar is expected to produce a much larger share of global electricity in 2026, but the pace of future growth will depend increasingly on batteries, grids and managing demand.
Solar power narrowly generated more electricity than nuclear worldwide in 2025, according to Ember data cited by the BBC, marking a shift between two major sources of low-carbon power. Solar is expected to widen that lead in 2026, when it is forecast to provide about 10% of global electricity; the 2026 figure is a projection, not a final tally.
The figures describe electricity generation, not total energy use. Ember’s data show solar generation just above nuclear in 2025. The BBC report says solar provided about 1% of the world’s power a decade earlier and is expected to reach 10% in 2026. It does not provide a precise 2025 share or a final 2026 total, so the size of the gap should not be overstated.
Solar’s expansion has been rapid. The report says solar met three-quarters of the growth in global electricity demand in 2025, making it the largest contributor to new electricity supply that year. Falling panel prices, wider deployment and the growing use of batteries have helped make new solar projects competitive in many markets, including for solar generators. China remains the largest solar power producer, while rooftop systems and imports are supporting growth in other countries.
The shift is not the same as nuclear power declining everywhere, nor does it mean solar can replace dispatchable generation on its own. Solar output varies with daylight and weather. The report identifies longer-duration storage, grid capacity and the timing of electricity demand as constraints on how much solar can be integrated reliably, including in off-grid solar setups.
Solar’s Lead Reshapes Power Growth
The comparison matters because it shows how quickly the global electricity mix is changing: a source that supplied about 1% of global power a decade ago is now producing more electricity than nuclear, according to the cited 2025 data. Solar is also meeting a large share of new demand, which can affect investment decisions for utilities, governments and businesses planning future power supply.
For households and countries facing high fuel costs or unreliable electricity, solar can offer a way to add generation without waiting for large central projects. The BBC report describes household uptake in Pakistan and says more than four million Australian homes have rooftop systems, well over a third of households. These examples point to different routes for expansion, but they do not establish that solar alone can meet all local needs.
The policy and infrastructure challenge is shifting alongside the technology. Cheap panels can bring capacity online, but dependable supply also requires transmission, storage and ways to match demand with intermittent production. The relative generation totals also do not measure each technology’s role in providing power at night, during extended cloudy periods or through seasonal changes.
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How Solar Reached the Threshold
Solar’s recent rise follows a sharp fall in panel prices. The BBC report says prices dropped substantially in 2023 and 2024. Ember co-founder Dave Jones described panels as costing “well under $100,” and said they can generate electricity for decades. That comment refers to the panel itself; the report does not present it as the full installed cost of a solar system, which can also include inverters, land, labour and grid connections.
Growth is geographically uneven. China is the biggest producer, while the report points to rooftop adoption in Australia and rapid household installations in Pakistan. In the United States, University of Maryland researcher Alicia Zhao said federal policies that constrain renewables are expected to slow growth relative to what might otherwise occur, but that solar remains among the cheapest sources of new power in the country. Those are her assessments, not a uniform forecast for every market.
Solar and batteries have expanded together. Storage can move some electricity produced at midday into evening hours, but the report says longer periods—including cloudy spells and seasonal or monsoon conditions—remain harder to cover. Nuclear generation, meanwhile, can contribute electricity independently of sunlight; a comparison of annual totals does not capture all differences in the timing and reliability of supply.
““Solar generating more electricity than all the world’s nuclear power plants is a pretty insane stat, for sure.””
— Dave Jones, co-founder of Ember
Generation Totals Do Not Settle Reliability
The 2025 comparison is described as a narrow lead based on Ember data, but the supplied report does not include the underlying generation totals or a detailed methodology. The 2026 share of about 10% is a forecast, and final annual data may differ. It is also unclear from the report how much the 2025 lead reflects changes in solar output, nuclear output or both.
Annual generation totals do not show when electricity is available or how well supply matches demand. The report does not quantify how much additional storage or grid investment will be required in different regions, or how quickly those projects can be built. Longer-duration storage remains a particular unresolved issue for periods when sunlight is limited.
Solar’s continued expansion is also subject to policy, prices, land use and demand growth. The supplied material describes potential opportunities and constraints but does not establish a single global forecast for solar’s share beyond 2026. Nor does it say nuclear generation is being retired as a result of solar’s lead.
Storage and Grid Capacity Set the Pace
The next test is whether electricity systems can accommodate more solar while maintaining supply when panels are not producing. That will depend on grid upgrades, batteries and flexible demand, as well as the pace of new solar construction. The report gives no specific timetable for resolving those bottlenecks.
Investors and policymakers will also be watching final 2026 generation figures to see whether solar reaches the forecast 10% share and how far it moves ahead of nuclear. In the United States, Zhao points to rising electricity demand from data centres and electrification as a possible source of new demand, while noting that federal policy can affect the rate of renewable development.
Longer-duration storage and emerging approaches to land use, including agrivoltaics that combine farming with solar panels, are among the developments cited in the report. Their contribution at scale remains uncertain. For now, the confirmed shift is a narrow solar lead in 2025 generation; the size and durability of that lead will depend on future output and whether power systems keep pace.
Key Questions
Did solar produce more electricity than nuclear in 2025?
Yes, narrowly. Ember data cited by the BBC show global solar electricity generation just above nuclear generation in 2025. The report does not provide the precise totals.
Is solar expected to reach 10% of global electricity in 2026?
The BBC report says solar is expected to provide about 10% of global power in 2026. That is a forecast, not a final annual measurement.
Does this mean nuclear power is declining?
Not necessarily. The comparison concerns how much electricity solar and nuclear generated globally. The report does not establish that nuclear output is falling or that solar’s growth is causing nuclear plants to close.
What could limit further solar growth?
The report identifies grid capacity, storage and demand management as key constraints. Solar production varies with daylight and weather, and longer-term storage remains difficult.
Source: bbc.com
