Solar and wind are the fastest-growing energy sources in the U.S., expanding 1,914% and 391%, respectively, between 2010 and 2025, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA). Natural gas is the largest source of energy, accounting for 38% of total U.S. energy production, followed by crude oil at 26% and coal at 10%.
The shale revolution and clean energy build-out happened simultaneously during that period. The U.S. set records in oil and gas production while solar and wind expanded. Understanding which energy sources are growing, which are shrinking, and which are projected to dominate by 2050 is increasingly relevant context for individual investors.
U.S. energy production by source over time: Solar and wind led all growth since 2010
Two distinct energy production stories have come out of the last 15 years: Fossil fuels expanded significantly in absolute terms while renewables grew faster from a smaller base.
- Solar production grew more than any other source in percentage terms, rising 1,941% between 2010 and 2025. Output reached 1.388 quadrillion Btu in 2025, up from 0.068 quadrillion Btu in 2010, according to the EIA. But solar still represents only 1.3% of total U.S. primary energy production.
- Wind production grew 391% over the same period, from 0.323 to 1.585 quadrillion Btu. Wind accounted for 1.5% of total U.S. primary energy production in 2025, says the EIA.
- Coal production fell 50% between 2010 and 2025, from 22.0 to 11.0 quadrillion Btu. Coal's share of total U.S. primary energy production dropped from roughly 30% in 2010 to 10.3% in 2025, according to EIA data.
Natural gas production grew 87% between 2010 and 2025, from 21.8 to 40.7 quadrillion Btu, driven by hydraulic fracturing. Crude oil production grew 143%, from 11.6 to 28.2 quadrillion Btu, over the same period. Natural gas now accounts for 38% of total U.S. energy production, the largest share of any single source.