Coal plants persist as a large barrier to the global solar energy transition

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 15 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01836-5 Solar power is critical to the energy transition, but aerosols emitted from co-located coal plants suppress solar power production, diminishing realized energy gains. Although stricter emissions controls can partially mitigate these effects, a phase-out of coal-fired power would more effectively remove this performance constraint.