Solar surpasses coal in US electricity generation for first month on record in May 2026
By
Michelle Lewis
Pulled from the oven just right. Trustworthy, fact-dense, deeply satisfying.
Summary
In May 2026, solar power generated more electricity in the US than coal for the first month on record, according to analysis from energy think tank Ember. Solar supplied 12.8% of US electricity while coal dropped to 12.2%. This marks a dramatic shift from just five years earlier when coal generated 19.7% and solar only 5.4% in May. US solar generation hit a record 45.5 TWh, up 17% year-over-year.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledSolar generated more US electricity than coal for the first month on record in May 2026, according to new analysis from global energy think tank Ember.
Solar supplied 12.8% of US electricity during the month, while coal dropped to 12.2%.
Just five years ago, coal generated 19.7% of US electricity in May, while solar accounted for only 5.4%.
US solar generation hit a record 45.5 terawatt-hours (TWh) in May 2026, up 17% from May 2025.
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