U.S. Renewables Hit About 30% of Power Mix as Solar Outproduces Coal in May

Overview

• The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s July 23 report shows renewables supplied roughly 30.3% of U.S. electricity in January–May 2026 and rose about 10.1% year over year.
• In May 2026 combined utility‑scale and small‑scale solar generated 47,147 GWh, which exceeded coal at 45,119 GWh and wind at 41,157 GWh for the month.
• From June 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026 utility‑scale solar capacity grew by about 28 GW, small‑scale solar added roughly 6.6 GW, and utility‑scale battery storage rose by about 16.55 GW.
• EIA projects large near‑term additions — including roughly 44 GW of utility‑scale solar and about 23.2 GW more battery storage by mid‑2027 — and SUN DAY’s scenario that assumes continued rooftop growth puts total clean additions near 83 GW by late spring 2027.
• Coal generation and capacity are falling sharply while natural gas capacity rose modestly, a shift that battery expansion could deepen by enabling greater use of variable renewables and changing costs and choices for consumers and grid operators.