In May 2026, solar energy generated 12.8% of all U.S. electricity, edging past coal, which supplied 12.2%.

 

Did you ever imagine that solar power would outperform coal in the United States?

Well, it just happened.

In May 2026, solar energy generated 12.8% of all U.S. electricity, edging past coal, which supplied 12.2%.

Those numbers might seem close, but what makes this moment remarkable is that it's the first time in American history that solar has produced more electricity than coal.

And that's not all.

For decades, coal was one of the dominant sources of power across the United States, while solar made up only a small fraction of the nation's electricity mix.

Today, solar is the fastest growing source of electricity in the country and has become the third largest source of power overall.

With solar costs continuing to fall and new large scale projects coming online, experts believe this milestone could be just the beginning of a much bigger transformation in America's energy future.

Could May 2026 be remembered as the month a new energy era began in the United States?

Upgrader