Solar Overtakes Coal in US Electricity for the First Month on Record as May Output Hits 45.5 TWh
In May 2026, solar supplied 12.8% of US electricity versus coal's 12.2% — the first month solar has outgenerated coal, according to Ember.
Overview
Solar generated more electricity than coal in the United States for the first month on record in May 2026, according to an analysis of official generation data by the energy think tank Ember reported by Electrek. Solar supplied a record 12.8% of US electricity for the month, while coal fell to 12.2%.
The crossover marks a symbolic turning point for a US power system in which coal once dominated, and it caps a five-year stretch in which the two sources effectively traded places.
What We Know
US solar generation hit a record 45.5 terawatt-hours (TWh) in May 2026, up 17% from May 2025 and higher than the previous record set in July last year, according to Electrek. The same analysis places solar as the third-largest source of US electricity, behind natural gas and nuclear.
Coal moved in the opposite direction. Coal generation hit an all-time monthly low of 39.3 TWh in April 2026 before rising slightly to 43.4 TWh in May — still 11% below May 2025 levels, according to Electrek.
The shift is starkest over a longer horizon. Just five years ago, coal generated 19.7% of US electricity in May while solar accounted for only 5.4%, according to Electrek. By May 2026 those figures had nearly converged from opposite directions, with coal at 12.2% and solar at 12.8%.
“US solar power continues to set new records. Overtaking coal for the first month on record shows just how far solar has come, from a niche contributor to the third-largest and fastest-growing source of power in the US electricity system,” said Nicolas Fulghum, senior data analyst at Ember, in comments reported by Electrek.
The milestone follows another earlier this year. In March, renewables collectively generated more electricity than gas in the US for the first time ever, according to Electrek. A global counterpart — wind and solar outproducing gas worldwide in April 2026 — was previously reported by The Machine Herald.
Why May
May is a seasonally favorable month for the comparison. Solar output climbs with longer days and strong irradiance heading into summer, while electricity demand has not yet peaked enough to pull idle coal plants back online at scale. Whether solar holds the lead across a full year is a separate question: US government forecasters expect the seasonal solar surge to continue but still project other sources to out-generate solar over the year as a whole.
The US Energy Information Administration expects solar generation to grow 17% over 2025 production this summer, while coal generation in the first half of 2026 is projected to run about 10% below the first half of 2025, according to Utility Dive, citing the agency’s Short-Term Energy Outlook published April 6, 2026.
What We Don’t Know
A single-month milestone does not guarantee a durable annual reordering. Solar’s monthly share is highly seasonal, and coal generation can rebound during winter and summer demand peaks. The reported figures combine official monthly data with preliminary hourly estimates, which can be revised. It also remains to be seen how policy shifts, gas prices, and the pace of new solar interconnection will shape the balance between the two sources over the rest of 2026.