An exciting new benchmark has been reached in the U.S. renewable energy sector: For the first time, solar produced more electricity than coal during a single month.
Demand for solar is growing, no longer a niche form of energy generation but now a major source of power for Americans.
What happened?
May 2026 was the first month on record in which solar moved ahead of coal in the U.S. electricity mix. An analysis from Ember found that solar supplied 12.8% of the country's power, compared with coal's 12.2%.
Ember reported that 45.5 terawatt-hours of solar energy were generated in May. The report also highlighted the explosive growth in demand for solar, as May 2026 saw 17% more output than in May 2025. Coal, meanwhile, kept declining.
According to Ember, solar's share of the power mix rose from 5.4% in May 2021 to 12.8% in May 2026, while coal's share nearly halved over that same period.
Why does it matter?
Cleaner power sources are growing in demand, becoming part of everyday life, and providing better investment opportunities than coal and other fossil fuels. That leads to less planet-warming pollution and a grid that is less dependent on volatile markets.
Solar power is a money-saving investment with the added benefit of energy sovereignty and reduced pollution.
You don't have to invest in a major solar project to get in on the action. Homeowners can add solar and battery storage to protect their home during outages, save money on energy, and go off-grid. Solar paired with energy-saving appliances can drive bills even lower.
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Companies like EnergySage can help you go solar with free tools and save you up to $10,000 by curating competitive bids from local installers. If you're not ready to spend up front, Palmetto's $0-down LightReach solar leasing program can lower your utility rate by up to 20%.
What are people saying?
The renewable energy market is optimistic. This solar milestone followed another major marker in March, when renewables combined generated more power than gas for the first time.
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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