Solar surges past coal in May despite Trump push

solar supplied – New U.S. power numbers show solar overtaking coal for the first time in May, even as President Donald Trump backs a $700 million push for coal plants and targets clean-energy programs. Industry data also points to a widening gap: solar is now among the fastest

In May, the shift came quietly—but unmistakably—inside the nation’s electricity mix.

Solar supplied 12.8% of U.S. power in May for the first time. overtaking coal. which contributed 12.2%. according to data released Wednesday by Ember. alongside a report by the Solar Energy Industries Association and analytics firm Wood Mackenzie. Ember described May as a turning point, with coal hitting its fourth-lowest monthly share ever.

For Nicolas Fulghum, a senior energy and data analyst at Ember, the story is longer than one month. “For years solar power has risen in the U.S. electricity mix,” he said. “At the same time, coal power has lost its status, first as the largest source in the U.S. mix, and then gradually over the years has fallen even further.”.

Fulghum said solar also became the third-largest source of electricity in the United States in May, behind natural gas and nuclear. Coal generation, he added, reached an all-time monthly low in April and only rebounded modestly in May—enough for solar to keep climbing past coal.

Electricity itself is produced by converting sources of energy—fossil fuels, renewable resources and nuclear—into electrical power. Burning coal. oil and natural gas for electricity emits carbon dioxide. which traps heat in the atmosphere and warms the planet. Solar, along with wind, geothermal, hydropower and nuclear, are described as carbon-free.

Behind the new milestone is a change in what demand is asking the grid to do. After about two decades of essentially flat electricity consumption in the United States. electricity demand is increasing to power artificial intelligence. grow domestic manufacturing and electrify transportation and heating. Fulghum said he expects more months when solar exceeds coal generation before solar overtakes coal on an annual basis in a few years.

The milestone lands at a moment when federal policy has moved in the other direction.

Last week, Trump announced a plan to boost the struggling U.S. coal industry by spending nearly $700 million to support coal-fired power plants and coal exports. At a White House event, Trump said, “coal’s a great business,” and that “in terms of power, there’s really nothing like it.”

Martin Pochtaruk, CEO and founder of Canadian-based solar panel manufacturer Heliene, argued that investor decisions don’t follow slogans. “Trump can say that coal is coming back but investors will invest their money in whatever brings the best return. ” he said. “And for power generation that is solar, making it the fastest-growing fuel,” he added.

The White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers defended the administration’s broader energy direction. saying it is aimed at strengthening the country’s security. In a statement. Rogers said. “The President has reversed the Left’s devastating policies. saved the American coal industry. prevented the retirement of more than 17 gigawatts of power. and saved lives during heightened demand periods.”.

But the industry picture described by SEIA and Wood Mackenzie doesn’t match that claim of momentum for coal. SEIA said solar has been the top source for new power for five years. SEIA and Wood Mackenzie also said solar and battery storage were practically the only energy resources being built in the first quarter. making up 91% of all new generating capacity.

The administration’s actions, according to the article’s account, have included canceling solar and wind projects, implementing policies that slowed clean energy permitting and development, and terminating $7 billion in funding intended for affordable solar energy projects across the United States.

Darren Van’t Hof, interim president and CEO of SEIA, argued those steps collide with the reality of rising demand. In a statement. he said. “As power demand skyrockets. political and regulatory attacks are slowing down the exact resources we rely on.” He called impeding the sector “the only sector that is actively building new power” a “reckless gamble” that would “only drive electricity bills higher.”.

Legal and policy fights are already playing out.

Several groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency over canceling the Solar for All program. A district court dismissed the case last week, citing lack of jurisdiction. The plaintiffs have another filing pending in the Court of Federal Claims.

A separate case landed on a different front of federal clean-energy support: in a ruling Saturday, a federal judge struck down guidance from the Internal Revenue Service restricting tax credits for wind and solar projects.

Trump has also blamed renewable energy—specifically wind and solar—for skyrocketing energy costs. Energy analysts cited in the article say recent price increases are driven by growing demand. aging infrastructure and increasingly extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change. The war in Iran that Trump launched is also cited as a factor behind a spike in energy costs.

U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, a California Democrat, rejected the blame. “Blaming clean energy is ‘nonsensical. ’” he said. adding that “not even lighting $700 million of taxpayer money on fire” can save the dying coal industry. Huffman also said. “The rest of the world will move ahead toward a clean energy future with countries other than the United States leading the charge. unfortunately.” He added: “Trump will fail in this agenda. But. he will do enormous damage to our global leadership on clean energy and to the cost of living for struggling Americans.”.

Even as politics pulls in one direction, installation numbers show momentum spreading across the country.

States that voted for Trump in the 2024 election accounted for 74% of all solar capacity installed in the first quarter of 2026, SEIA said. Texas, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Arizona and Mississippi were among the top 10 states for new solar additions.

The U.S. has now exceeded a total of 6 million installations nationwide across all solar sectors, including large-scale solar arrays, commercial, community solar and residential or rooftop solar.

Johanna Neumann. at the Environment America Research and Policy Center. said solar growth is “good news for our health and our planet that solar continues to grow. ” and also “not surprising.” She said. “Today we can harness solar more affordably than any other energy source. It’s scalable. And it’s also our most abundant renewable energy source.” Neumann added. “So I think it’s hard to keep the lid on a good idea. especially if the economics are tilting in your favor as well. which they are in the case of solar.”.

Environment America’s renewable energy dashboard, Neumann said, shows that 32 U.S. states generated at least 10% of their retail electricity sales from solar, wind and geothermal energy last year, compared to 18 states in 2016.

Clean energy in the South is described as booming, particularly in Florida, Arkansas and Mississippi. Neumann said there is a “misconception in the United States that clean energy is something for the coasts and liberal cities,” calling it “the true story of renewable energy is a 50-state story.”

A coal plant photo used in the article shows American Electric Power’s John Amos coal-fired plant in Winfield, W.Va., seen from Poca, W.Va., March 22, 2026, in a file caption.

The question now isn’t whether solar can keep reaching milestones. The question is whether policy can catch up—or whether the grid’s shift will keep happening months at a time, even when Washington is pushing the other way.

solar power coal US electricity mix Ember SEIA Wood Mackenzie Donald Trump renewable energy policy Solar for All tax credits wind and solar energy prices electricity demand battery storage