Overview

• Solar delivered 38,965 GWh in May—over 11% of total U.S. electricity—and outproduced wind for the first time.
• Combined wind and solar accounted for 20.5% of U.S. generation from January through May, surpassing coal and nuclear output over the same period.
• All renewable sources, including hydropower, biomass and geothermal, generated 29.7% of U.S. electricity in May, trailing only natural gas after its output fell by 5.9%.
• Utility-scale solar output jumped 33.3% year-over-year in May while small-scale PV generation rose by 8.9%, together boosting solar’s share from 6.6% to 8.4% of generation in January–May.
• Solar electricity now exceeds combined output from hydropower, biomass and geothermal, highlighting its rising dominance in the U.S. energy mix.