The data was released a day after the new U.S. energy secretary, Chris Wright, strongly criticized solar and wind energy on two fronts. He said on Monday at the start of CERAWeek by S&P Global, an annual energy conference in Houston, that they couldn’t meet the growing electricity needs of the world and that their use was driving up energy costs.

Even as President Donald Trump threatens clean energy tax credits, solar power has become too cheap for consumers and utilities to ignore.

The country installed 50 gigawatts (GW) of new solar capacity in 2024. Solar dominated but faces an uncertain future.