Solar power generated more electricity in the United States than coal for the first time on record in May 2026, according to new analysis released June 10 by Ember, a global energy think tank. The milestone marks a significant shift in how Americans get their power.
Solar supplied a record 12.8 percent of US electricity in May, while coal fell to 12.2 percent, its fourth lowest monthly share ever. Solar also became the third largest source of electricity in the country in May, behind only natural gas and nuclear power.
A Five Year Reversal
The numbers reflect a dramatic change over a relatively short period. Coal’s share of US electricity generation has nearly halved over the past five years, falling from 19.7 percent in May 2021 to 12.2 percent in May 2026. Solar’s share more than doubled over the same span, rising from 5.4 percent to 12.8 percent.
Solar generated a record 45.5 terawatt hours of electricity in May 2026, up 17 percent from May 2025 and surpassing the previous monthly record set in July 2025. Ember said that record could fall again this summer, when solar output typically reaches its annual peak.
Coal generation hit an all time monthly low of 39.3 terawatt hours in April 2026. Output rose slightly to 43.4 terawatt hours in May, but remained 11 percent below May 2025 levels.
Part of a Broader Trend
The May milestone follows another clean energy benchmark reached in March, when renewables collectively generated more electricity than natural gas in the US for the first time ever.
Solar growth has been especially notable in the Southeast. Florida, Arkansas and Mississippi each produced less than 1 percent of their electricity from renewable sources in 2016. By 2025, those states were generating 12 percent, 10 percent and 7 percent respectively, with much of that growth coming from solar.
Nicolas Fulghum, senior data analyst at Ember, said the achievement underscores how far the technology has traveled in a short time. “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,” Fulghum said. “From Texas to California, markets across the US are betting on solar to meet rising power needs.”
Ember’s full analysis is available at ember-energy.org.
Source: Ember, “Solar Overtakes Coal in US Electricity for the First Month on Record,” June 10, 2026.
