There’s now five times more solar than nuclear power in the world

In 2002, global capacity of nuclear power was 438 GW, roughly 240 times more than solar photovoltaic systems at the time. Since then, solar has completely flipped the script.

According to the new World Nuclear Industry Status Report (WNISR) 2024, as of mid-2024, global nuclear power capacity has fallen to 367 GW. Solar, meanwhile, ended 2023 at 1,600 GW and could add another 592 GW this year alone. 

“The past two decades show that the future will be powered by renewable energy, not nuclear,” said Johanna Neumann, Senior Director of the Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy at Environment America Research & Policy Center. “Policy makers should stop throwing taxpayer subsidies to the nuclear industry and tech companies need to consider the broader societal impacts of their insatiable thirst for more and more power.” 

Over the last two decades, solar has grown remarkably and shows little signs of slowing down. Increases in scale have made solar panels more efficient and affordable. There’s also plenty of room for continued solar growth. Rooftop solar alone has the potential to produce the equivalent of 45% of America’s current electricity use, despite only providing 1.5% in 2022. Moreover, per dollar of investment, clean energy solutions like solar deliver far more energy than nuclear power. 

As solar capacity continues to increase, it is worth remembering its humble beginnings relative to expensive and risky alternatives like nuclear. Solar has exceeded expectations, surpassed nuclear five-fold, and provides a more promising alternative to fossil fuels.