For the first time on record, solar generated more electricity than coal in the United States. In May 2026, solar supplied 12.8% of the nation's electricity while coal supplied 12.2% — coal's fourth-lowest monthly share ever, according to EIA data reported by PBS News.
Why it matters
Crossovers like this used to be hypothetical; now they are structural. Utility-scale solar keeps adding capacity across Texas, California and the Midwest while coal plants retire or run fewer hours. Monthly records like this typically appear first in spring — strong sun, mild demand — before annual shares catch up.
A milestone amid headwinds
The record comes in a tougher market. The latest SEIA / Wood Mackenzie Solar Market Insight downgraded the residential outlook after the bankruptcy of the second-largest national installer, and expects the overall US market to contract by roughly 21% in 2026, with utility-scale additions of around 43 GW still leading the way. Fewer, stronger players are building more centralized solar — and solar's share of generation keeps climbing anyway.
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Sources: PBS News (EIA data); SEIA / Wood Mackenzie US Solar Market Insight, Q2 2026.