America's Power Supply Just Flipped in Surprising Direction

Renewables generated more than one-third of America’s electricity in March, overtaking gas for the first time and marking the cleanest month on record for the nation's power supply, according to new monthly data compiled by energy think tank Ember.

Clean energy accounted for 35 percent of U.S. electricity supply last month, while gas accounted for 34 percent. Combined, wind and solar energy provided 26 percent of the country’s power in March.

America’s grid has historically relied heavily on fossil fuels. However, since 2016, renewables have been gradually contributing more power, and last month marked the first time clean sources of energy provided a higher proportion of electricity than gas.

This comes despite President Donald Trump’s push for domestic fossil fuel expansion, which included an official declaration of a “national energy emergency” to fast-track drilling, and the revoking of the scientific finding that climate change endangers human health and the environment, undoing regulations on emissions and clean energy, as well as the cancellation of wind and solar projects.

It is important to note that the shift reflects investments, market trends and project pipelines assembled well before 2026, and even the start of Trump’s second term last year.

“Most of the growth in renewable power we've seen come online in the past year reflects decisions that were made years ago,” Catherine Holfram, former climate and energy economics adviser at the U.S. Treasury, and professor of energy economics at MIT, told Newsweek.

She added that the data is not a reflection of the Trump administration’s policies, and it “takes a long time to plan, permit, get interconnection rights for and actually build a renewable project.”

Reasons why March saw renewables overtook gas in electricity production are wide-ranging, though the time of year is an important factor, Holfram said.

March is a time when “electricity demand is relatively low, so dispatchable power sources, like gas, are used at low levels, while renewables also have a seasonal pattern that peaks around this time of year,” she said, adding that this can be seen in the data as there are clear “peaks and valleys” in the graph over the past decade, reflecting the seasonal impact.

Ember’s data shows that as renewable energy production peaks, gas production tends to drop-a pattern that has been ongoing since its records started in 2016.

Brian Murray, director of the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment and Sustainability at Duke University, agreed, telling Newsweek that “spring is typically the high-water mark for renewables as the wind kicks up and as days get longer in much of the country there is a higher utilization of renewable resources.”

Murray also said that solar energy has been picking up notably in the last couple of years because of its “speed to market,” meaning solar is “often the fastest thing that can come to market.” He added that this is “critical because electricity demand has been surging as a result of AI-driven data center needs.”

As the demand for electricity continues to grow, Murray said the U.S. “will see a more diverse portfolio of generation assets to meet those demands.”

While the data marks the first time that renewables have overtaken gas in electricity production, as there has been a historic fluctuation in energy output, Holfram said she thought it “likely” that renewables could overtake gas again next spring, despite the Trump administration’s energy policies.

The new milestone underscores how seasonal dynamics and long‑term investment trends are steadily reshaping America’s energy portfolio, even in a policy environment favoring fossil fuels. While March's figures might not represent a permanent turning point, experts said they signal that the grid is becoming structurally more reliant on renewable energy-and one likely to see similar milestones again.

Newsweek's reporters and editors used Martyn, our Al assistant, to help produce this story. Learn more about Martyn.

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This story was originally published April 10, 2026 at 3:00 AM.