Renewable Energy Generation Reaches Record High as Solar Power Surpasses Coal
Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reveals that from January to May 2026, renewable energy generation in the United States grew by 10.1% compared to the same period in 2025, accounting for 30.3% of the nation’s total electricity generation and crossing the 30% threshold for the first time. Solar power performance was particularly notable, with May’s monthly generation reaching 47.147 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), surpassing coal (45.119 billion kWh) and wind (41.157 billion kWh) for the first time.
The EIA’s Electric Power Monthly report indicates that in the first five months of 2026, wind and solar power (including small-scale solar systems) combined accounted for 22.2% of total U.S. electricity generation, a significant increase from the previous year. During the same period, nuclear power generation totaled 320.105 billion kWh, while coal generation reached 257.389 billion kWh, demonstrating that wind and solar output exceeded nuclear by 26% and coal by 57%.
Utility-Scale Solar Leads Growth as Energy Sources Show Divergent Trends
Among renewable energy sources, utility-scale solar (installations larger than 1 MW) saw the fastest growth in generation, increasing by 21.6% year-over-year. Small-scale solar (less than 1 MW) generation rose by 12.8%, hydropower by 10.8%, and wind power by 4.8%. In contrast, traditional energy sources displayed mixed performance: nuclear and natural gas generation grew modestly by 1.3% and 2.5%, respectively, while coal generation declined sharply by 10.9%.
EIA data shows that from June 2025 to May 2026, U.S. renewable energy capacity expanded by 44,711.8 MW. Utility-scale solar capacity increased by 27,995.1 MW, wind by 10,252.6 MW, and small-scale solar by 6,664.3 MW. Battery storage capacity also surged by 16,551.8 MW, reflecting an accelerated pace of energy storage deployment. During the same period, coal capacity decreased by 2,235.6 MW, nuclear by 27.6 MW, while natural gas capacity saw a modest increase of 6,289 MW.
Renewable Energy Capacity Share to Reach 37% as Storage Grows Nearly 50%
The EIA projects that by the end of May 2027, the share of utility-scale renewable energy capacity in the U.S. will rise from 34.1% to 37%. Solar’s share is expected to grow from 13.1% to 16.1%, while wind will remain steady at around 13.6%. Battery storage capacity is forecast to increase by an additional 23,241.1 MW, a 48% rise, bringing total storage capacity to 72,002 MW.
Including utility-scale renewables and storage, clean energy capacity is projected to grow by 76,907.1 MW by the end of May 2027. If small-scale solar capacity increases by approximately 6,000 MW, as estimated by the SUN DAY Campaign based on the previous year’s growth of 6,664.3 MW, total new capacity could approach or exceed 83 GW. Ken Bossong, Executive Director of the SUN DAY Campaign, stated that despite policy obstacles, the growth of solar, wind, and storage continues to accelerate, underscoring the unstoppable momentum of the energy transition.
The EIA also highlighted significant differences in capacity factors—the ratio of actual generation to maximum potential output—across energy sources in 2025. Nuclear power led with a capacity factor of 91%, followed by natural gas at 58.4%, coal at 48.7%, wind at 34.2%, and utility-scale solar at 24.4%. While renewable energy capacity factors remain relatively low, their rapid expansion continues to drive the transformation of the U.S. power sector. By spring 2027, total renewable energy capacity, including small-scale solar, is expected to surpass natural gas, becoming the largest source of electricity generation in the United States.
