Utility-Scale Solar Supplied 60% of US Generation Growth From January to August as Coal Fell 8.7%

Utility-scale generation in the United States totalled 3,073,105 GWh in January to August 2026, 2.4% more than a year earlier, according to the EIA's Electric Power Monthly released on 23 October. Utility-scale solar produced 255,354 GWh, up 20%. Including small-scale systems, solar output reached 329,119 GWh, 18.1% higher.

Of the 70,657 GWh increase in utility-scale generation, by TEI's calculation solar supplied about 60% and wind about 34%, with wind output rising by 23,989 GWh to 333,367 GWh. Gas-fired generation grew 2.6% to 1,251,374 GWh, nuclear 1.3% to 531,031 GWh and hydropower 4.2% to 180,940 GWh.

Coal generation fell 8.7% to 458,609 GWh and coal consumed by the power sector dropped about 9%, to 257,901 thousand short tons. Petroleum liquids rose 47.1% to 14,556 GWh, from a small base. Utility-scale solar's share of generation rose from 7.1% to 8.3%, and coal's fell from 16.7% to 14.9%.