Solar Topped Coal and Wind in May: EIA
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- Solar generated 47,147 GWh in May 2026, surpassing coal (45,119 GWh) and wind (41,157 GWh) for the first time in a single month, per EIA data reviewed by the SUN DAY Campaign.
- Renewables accounted for 30.3% of US electricity in the first five months of 2026, up from 28.2% a year earlier, with total renewable generation rising 10.1% year-over-year.
- Coal power output fell 10.9% year-over-year in early 2026, while utility-scale solar grew 21.6%, small-scale solar 12.8%, hydropower 10.8%, and wind 4.8%.
- US renewable energy capacity expanded by 44,711.8 MW between June 2025 and May 2026, led by utility-scale solar (+27,995.1 MW), while coal capacity dropped 2,235.6 MW and nuclear slipped 27.6 MW.
- EIA projects utility-scale renewables will add 53,666 MW by May 31, 2027, with battery storage contributing another 23,241.1 MW — roughly a 48% jump — bringing combined clean energy additions to about 83,000 MW.
- Combined wind and solar produced 57% more electricity than US coal plants and 26% more than nuclear reactors in the first five months of 2026.
- SUN DAY Campaign executive director Ken Bossong said solar, wind, and battery storage growth is accelerating "notwithstanding all the roadblocks erected by the Trump Administration."
Why it matters: EIA data shows US renewable electricity generation growing 10.1% year-over-year while coal drops 10.9% and no new nuclear capacity is projected. If small-scale solar keeps pace, total renewable capacity (~542,096 MW) will surpass natural gas (~514,845 MW) by spring 2027 — a historic crossover driven by ~83,000 MW of projected clean energy additions.
