NEW ORLEANS – Solar power generation surpassed coal for the first time in U.S. history in May even as the Trump administration announced plans to direct $700 million in federal funding toward supporting the nation’s coal industry. According to an Ember analysis of U.S. Energy Information Administration data, solar accounted for a record 12.8% of U.S. electricity generation during May, compared to coal’s 12.2%, coal’s fourth-lowest monthly share on record.
The June 5 federal announcement includes upgrades to 13 existing coal-fired power plants and support for new coal projects in Alaska and West Virginia, which could become the first newly built large-scale U.S. coal plants since 2013.
The Trump administration has framed the investment as part of a broader national security and energy reliability strategy tied to rising electricity demand from artificial intelligence data centers and manufacturing growth. Much of the funding is being distributed through the Defense Production Act, a Cold War-era law that gives the federal government broad authority over industries deemed critical to national security.
Solar also became the third-largest source of U.S. electricity generation in May, behind only natural gas and nuclear power. Solar generated a record 45.5 terawatt-hours of electricity during the month, surpassing the previous record set in July 2025.
“For years solar power has risen in the U.S. electricity mix,” said Nicolas Fulghum, senior energy and data analyst at Ember, in a public statement. “At the same time, coal power has lost its status.”
Fulghum said the milestone reflects the rapid growth of solar energy within the U.S. power sector.
Energy Demand and Solar Growth
Coal’s share of the U.S. electricity mix has fallen from 19.7% in May 2021 to 12.2% in May 2026, while solar’s share more than doubled from 5.4% to 12.8% during the same period.
Coal once generated roughly half of U.S. electricity but accounted for about 15% of total power generation in 2024 as utilities increasingly shifted toward natural gas and renewable energy sources.
Separate data from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and energy analytics firm Wood Mackenzie found that solar and battery storage accounted for 91% of new U.S. generating capacity added during the first quarter of 2026. “Solar and battery storage accounted for an incredible 91% of all new electricity-generating capacity added in the first quarter,” SEIA said in a recent public report.
The milestone follows another clean-energy benchmark reached in March, when renewable energy sources collectively generated more electricity than natural gas for the first time in the U.S.
Louisiana AI Infrastructure Expansion
In Louisiana, Entergy Louisiana and Meta announced an expanded agreement tied to Meta’s Richland Parish AI data center project which has grown from an initially announced $10 billion investment to at least $27 billion. Entergy said the agreement includes plans for seven additional natural gas plants capable of generating more than 5,200 megawatts of power, on top of three previously approved gas plants already under development for the project. Entergy said the Meta project would add an amount of electricity generation equal to more than 40% of all the power-generating capacity Entergy Louisiana currently operates statewide.
Hut 8 is developing its River Bend AI campus in West Feliciana Parish at the former River Bend site. The company has said the first phase of the project could involve up to $10 billion in investment, with supporting infrastructure plans including a new well system and approximately eight miles of new water main intended to serve both the campus and surrounding communities.
Coal Policy and Renewable Growth
The Trump administration’s coal investments have drawn criticism from environmental advocates, who argue the funding could slow the country’s transition toward renewable energy. Coal remains the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel and is associated with significant air pollution and environmental impacts from mining operations.
The growth of solar energy has been driven by falling costs, improved efficiency and expanded manufacturing capacity, particularly in China, which now produces the majority of the world’s solar panels.
Several states won by President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, including Texas, Florida and Mississippi, also rank among the nation’s leading states for new solar development, according to SEIA data.
