Solar power hits new milestones in the US even as Trump boosts coal over clean energy

[OKIsItJustMe]

https://apnews.com/article/trump-solar-coal-mining-climate-electricity-50250099a4e94384af4aa9f197d62403

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT
Updated 12:05 AM EDT, June 10, 2026

Even as President Donald Trump boosts coal over clean energy, solar power is hitting new milestones in the U.S. and remains the leading source of new power.

Data released Wednesday by global energy think tank Ember, along with a report by the Solar Energy Industries Association and analytics firm Wood Mackenzie, show the continued growth of solar and decline of coal in the United States despite federal policy. In May, for the first time, solar supplied more of the nation’s electricity than coal, or 12.8%, Ember said. Coal supplied 12.2%, its fourth-lowest monthly share ever.

“For years solar power has risen in the U.S. electricity mix,” said Nicolas Fulghum, senior energy and data analyst at Ember. “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.”

Solar also became the third-largest source of electricity in the U.S. in May, behind natural gas and nuclear, Fulghum said. Coal generation hit an all-time monthly low in April and rebounded only modestly in May, allowing increasing solar generation to overtake coal, he added.

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https://seia.org/news/solar-and-storage-provide-over-90-of-new-power-in-q1/

June 10, 2026

REPORT: Solar and Storage Provide Over 90% of All New Power Added to the U.S. Grid in Q1, Despite Headwinds in Washington
U.S. Exceeds Six Million Solar Installations Nationwide

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States added 7.8 gigawatts (GW) of new solar capacity in the first quarter of 2026, surpassing 6 million cumulative installations as solar remained the leading source of new power added to the grid. Despite changing tax policy and regulatory actions targeting clean energy, solar and energy storage represented 91% of new capacity installed in Q1 as utilities, homeowners and businesses seek energy security amid global gas and gas turbine supply disruptions.

The U.S. Solar Market Insight 2026 Q2 Report released today by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie finds that contracts for utility-scale solar rose 15% year over year, fueled by tech companies securing power to meet growing AI-driven electricity demand.

The report’s industry-wide forecast was revised upward as electricity demand continues to surge. Amid rising geopolitical instability, solar and storage strengthen American energy security because they can be deployed quickly and operate without exposure to fuel price volatility.

States won by President Trump accounted for 74% of all solar capacity installed in the first quarter, with Texas, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Arizona, and Mississippi ranking among the top 10 states for new solar additions.

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[VMA131Marine]

1. It takes 1-2 permanent employees to run

a grid scale solar facility.

It takes 25-30 employees to run a gas turbine power plant.

It takes 50-100 employees to run a 300 MW coal power plant

It’s not difficult to see why coal power plants is declining quite apart from their GHG and toxic heavy metal emissions.

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. Sunlight is significantly less expensive than coal

Coal must be mined, and frequently transported to the site where it is burned.


Sunlight delivers itself!