Solar Overtakes Coal in US Electricity for the First Month on Record`
6 hours ago
- #electricity mix
- #coal generation
- #solar energy
- Solar energy surpassed coal generation in the US electricity mix for the first recorded month in May 2026.
- Solar supplied a record 12.8% of US electricity, while coal fell to 12.2%, marking its fourth-lowest monthly share.
- Solar generated an all-time high of 45.5 TWh in May 2026, exceeding May 2025 by 17% and becoming the third-largest electricity source.
- Coal generation reached an all-time monthly low of 39.3 TWh in April 2026, with May output at 43.4 TWh, still 11% below May 2025.
- The increase in solar generation outweighed coal's modest rebound, allowing solar to overtake coal in the US electricity mix.