Trump's attempt to crush clean energy progress not going to plan, experts say [View all]
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/28/trump-clean-energy-progressUS generated more power from renewables like solar and wind than gas last month in a first
Oliver Milman
Tue 28 Apr 2026 08.30 EDT
Donald Trump has wielded the full might of his administration to crush the progress of
clean energy, which he has called a scam and stupid. But there are signs this assault is not going to plan.
In March, the US generated more of its electricity from renewable sources such as solar and wind than it did via gas, the first time clean energy has surpassed the planet-heating fossil fuel for a full month nationally, according to data from the Ember thinktank.
While this was just one month, it follows a
record 2025 for renewable energy. The pipeline of new power coming online in the US is overwhelmingly green this year, too, with
93% of all electricity capacity added in 2026 set to come from solar, wind and batteries. Just 7% will come from the fossil fuels that
are dangerously overheating our world.
Last week, a federal court in Massachusetts
blocked a slew of Trumps anti-renewables actions, such as barring solar and wind projects on federal land. This follows the
resumption of five major offshore wind farms, a form of energy the president has long reviled as ugly, that the administration had ordered to halt.