More electricity from solar - For the first time in the US, it surpasses coal generation
Solar power surpassed coal in U.S. electricity generation for the first time in history in May 2026, according to an analysis by Ember, a group of global energy experts. Coal accounted for 12.2% of the electricity mix that month, leaving it just behind solar’s 12.8% share.
Solar production in May reached 45.5 terawatt-hours, an all-time monthly record that surpassed the previous record set in July 2025 by a significant margin and represented a 17% increase compared to the same month a year ago, according to Ember. Coal production reached 43.4 TWh, a figure 11% lower than what the fuel produced in May 2025. Coal reached a monthly low of 39.3 TWh in April 2026 before rising slightly in May. Solar power also became the third-largest source of electricity in the U.S. last month, behind natural gas and nuclear power.
The milestone came in the same week that separate data showed continued expansion of solar capacity. A report jointly released by the Solar Energy Industries Association and analytics firm Wood Mackenzie found that 7.8 gigawatts of new solar capacity was added in the first quarter of 2026, bringing the national total to more than 6 million individual installations. Of all the generating capacity added nationwide that quarter, the two technologies together accounted for 91% of the total, the report found.
Large-scale solar contracts rose 15% year-over-year, driven in part by technology companies seeking power for artificial intelligence data centers, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. The report noted that 74% of the first-quarter solar capacity was installed in states that elected President Donald Trump in 2024; Texas, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Arizona and Mississippi all ranked among the top states for new additions.
Solar gains come even as the Trump administration has taken steps to shore up the coal industry. The White House last week pledged nearly $700 million in financial support for coal. Ember data showed that natural gas is still far ahead of any other rival, contributing 37% of total U.S. electricity generation in May.
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