Solar just passed a milestone that would have been hard to imagine a few years ago. In May, it generated more electricity in the United States than coal for the first time in a single month.
An analysis from Ember found solar supplied 12.8 percent of the country’s power in May, compared with coal’s 12.2 percent. Ember reported that 45.5 terawatt-hours of solar energy were generated during the month.
The report said May 2026 solar output was 17 percent higher than in May 2025.
According to Ember, solar’s share of the power mix rose from 5.4 percent in May 2021 to 12.8 percent in May 2026. Over the same period, coal’s share nearly halved.
The milestone followed another first in March, when renewables combined generated more power than gas.
Ember senior data analyst Nicolas Fulghum said, “U.S. 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.”
He added, “From Texas to California, markets across the U.S. are betting on solar to meet rising power needs.”
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