Solar beats coal in the US electricity mix for the first month ever
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- Solar supplied 12.8% of US electricity in May 2026, overtaking coal's 12.2% for the first time on record.
- Solar generated a record 45.5 TWh in May 2026, a 17% increase from May 2025 and surpassing the previous record set last July.
- Coal output fell to 43.4 TWh in May 2026, 11% lower than May 2025 and only a modest rise from April's all-time low of 39.3 TWh.
- Ember analysis highlights the May 2026 crossover as a clean‑energy milestone and projects another solar record could be broken this summer.
- Renewables collectively became the second‑largest electricity source in the US, with solar becoming the third‑largest individual source behind natural gas and nuclear.
- Nicolas Fulghum said the shift demonstrates solar's rapid growth from a niche contributor to the third‑largest and fastest‑growing source in the US electricity system.
Why it matters: Solar developers and utilities win as solar’s 12.8% share eclipses coal’s 12.2%, while coal generators see output dip to a new low. The crossover accelerates the clean‑energy transition, reshaping the U.S. grid even as the Trump administration pushes back against such projects.
