Solar power generated 12.8% of U.S. electricity in May 2026, surpassing coal's 12.2% for the first time. This marks a historic shift in the energy landscape, despite Trump's policies favoring coal.

Commenters largely agree on the milestone, with some arguing that wind and solar together surpassed coal earlier. Others debate the role of U.S. policies and geopolitical factors in coal's decline. UnderpantsWeevil highlighted the impact of U.S. policies like degrading rail networks and blocking Russian gas. chahn.chris argued that solar is cheaper and will dominate long-term, while FistingEnthusiast made a provocative claim about U.S. exports leading to unexpected outcomes. mikezane noted that wind and solar surpassed coal in 2024, and HubertManne expressed surprise that solar alone overtook coal.

The community consensus is that solar has overtaken coal, driven by cost and policy factors. However, there are fault lines over whether the shift is due to renewables alone or combined with wind, and the extent of U.S. policies' role in coal's decline.