California gas generation down 60% from 2024 as solar, imports surge
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- CAISO saw utility-scale solar generation overtake natural gas in the first five months of 2026, with solar up 21% and gas down 60% versus the same 2024 period, per the Energy Information Administration.
- EIA found solar outgenerated gas on 82% of days from January through May 2026, up from 21% of days in 2024 and 2025.
- CAISO added 19% more solar capacity (reaching 25 GW) and 79% more battery storage (16 GW) between April 2024 and April 2026, while natural gas capacity held nearly flat at 29 GW.
- Despite a 7% rise in electricity demand, CAISO net generation actually fell 19% because electricity imports from neighboring systems doubled as cheaper power came online.
- The 3.65 GW SunZia wind project in New Mexico — the largest wind farm in the U.S. — began delivering power to CAISO in April 2026, with most of its output headed to Arizona and Southern California.
- On May 15, 2026, CAISO logged 7,122 MW of hourly wind generation — 20% above the previous annual record of 5,922 MW from 2024.
Why it matters: California added 11 GW of net capacity yet saw a 19% drop in net generation because imports from neighboring systems doubled. The state is leaning on Pacific Northwest hydro and the 3.65 GW SunZia wind farm in New Mexico, exposing CAISO to drought variability and long-distance transmission dependencies.
