Read the full article from Ember.
Solar overtook coal generation in the US electricity mix for the first month on record in May 2026, according to official monthly and preliminary hourly generation data analysed by global energy think tank Ember. Solar supplied a record 12.8% of US electricity, while coal fell to 12.2%, its fourth-lowest monthly share ever.
In May 2026, solar generated an all-time high total of 45.5 TWh, exceeding output in May 2025 by 17% and surpassing the previous record set in July last year. This record could be broken again in the coming summer months. While total solar output typically peaks in June or July, its share of the electricity mix is often highest in April or May, when strong solar output coincides with more moderate demand before summer cooling needs increase. In May, solar also became the third-largest source of electricity in the US, behind gas and nuclear.
Coal generation hit an all-time monthly low of 39.3 TWh in April 2026. Although coal output rose slightly to 43.4 TWh in May, it remained 11% below May 2025 levels. The modest rebound was outweighed by an increase in solar generation, allowing solar to overtake coal in the US electricity mix for the first month on record.
The share of coal generation in the US mix has nearly halved in the last five years, falling from 19.7% in May 2021 to 12.2% in May 2026. In contrast, solar power’s share of the mix more than doubled from 5.4% to 12.8% over the same period.
Solar overtaking coal follows another clean power milestone reached in March, when renewables collectively generated more electricity than gas for the first time in the US. Taken together, these milestones underscore the growing role of clean power in the US electricity mix, despite a challenging policy environment for clean power projects.
“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. “From Texas to California, markets across the US are betting on solar to meet rising power needs.”