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Capacity Factor: Why 1 GW of Solar Isn’t 1 GW of Gas

Capacity Factor: Why 1 GW of Solar Isn’t 1 GW of Gas

Sep 12, 2026 | Renewable Energy, Smartgrids

A power plant’s capacity factor is the share of its theoretical maximum output it actually delivers over a year. It is also why the grid’s headline numbers mislead. In 2025, US nuclear plants supplied about 18% of the country’s electricity from just...
US Wind and Solar Overtook Nuclear in the First Half of 2026

US Wind and Solar Overtook Nuclear in the First Half of 2026

Aug 27, 2026 | Renewable Energy, Smartgrids, Solar, Wind

US wind and solar generated roughly 420 terawatt-hours in the first half of 2026 — about a fifth of the country’s electricity, and marginally more than its nuclear fleet’s 390 TWh, on Energy Information Administration figures. Their combined share climbed...
The BrightVolt Take: Solar’s Record Half Is Already the Past

The BrightVolt Take: Solar’s Record Half Is Already the Past

Aug 22, 2026 | Policy & Regulations, Renewable Energy, Solar, Wind

In the first half of 2026, US wind and solar generated about 420 terawatt-hours — 20% of the country’s electricity, up from 18.6% a year earlier — and passed both coal and nuclear for the first time in a comparable six months, according to federal generation...
The BrightVolt Take: Gas Didn’t Win the AI Power Race

The BrightVolt Take: Gas Didn’t Win the AI Power Race

Aug 7, 2026 | Renewable Energy, Smartgrids

Gas did not win the AI power race. In 2026 the US grid will add a record 86 GW of capacity, and 6.3 GW of it is natural gas — 7% of the total, behind solar, batteries and wind. The turbine order books everyone points to are real, but the first slots GE Vernova is...
Solar and Storage Are 79% of New US Grid Capacity in 2026

Solar and Storage Are 79% of New US Grid Capacity in 2026

Jul 31, 2026 | Renewable Energy, Smartgrids, Solar

Solar and battery storage account for 79% of every gigawatt the United States expects to add to its grid this year. The Energy Information Administration projects 86 GW of new utility-scale generating capacity in 2026 — a record if it lands — of which solar...