Solar power accounted for 100% of the power added to the grid in March and has accounted for as much as 50% of the additions in the first quarter. Giant projects from solar heavies First Solar (FSLR +2.52%) and SunPower (SPWR +0.00%) are driving the utility industry, and SolarCity (SCTY +0.00%) is building residential solar at a fevered pace. Erin Miller sat down with Motley Fool contributor Travis Hoium to see what this trend means for our energy future.
Solar Becoming a Powerful Player in Energy
By Travis Hoium – Apr 18, 2013 at 12:10PM
NASDAQ: FSLR
First Solar
Market Cap
$25B
Today's Change
(2.52%) $5.64
Current Price
$229.00
Price as of October 23, 2025 at 4:00 PM ET
Solar power is the biggest addition to the grid recently.
About the Author
Travis Hoium is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering solar energy, technology, and growth stocks. Before The Motley Fool, Travis was a mechanical engineer at 3M and founded a virtual reality company. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota.