Soaring solar and a surge in hydro push more coal off the US grid
Recent data indicates a shift in the US energy grid, with a significant increase in solar and hydroelectric power contributing to a decline in coal usage. In the first quarter of 2026, solar energy rose by 24%, offsetting much of the demand increase. Overall, fossil fuel generation dropped by about 3% year-over-year, with coal experiencing a more substantial decline of over 10%.
- ▪Overall demand in the US grew by only 1.5 percent in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period the year before.
- ▪Solar energy production increased by 24%, which was enough to offset 80 percent of the rising demand.
- ▪Hydroelectric generation surged by 22 percent in the first quarter, attributed to unusually warm weather causing early snowpack melting.
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Getting a charge Soaring solar and a surge in hydro push more coal off the US grid The first data from 2026 seem to indicate that last year was an oddity. John Timmer – May 22, 2026 1:22 pm | 3 Credit: Getty Images Credit: Getty Images Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav Last year, the first few months of data from the US grid suggested that fears of a data-center-driven surge in demand were becoming a reality. Demand had risen by about 3 percent, triggering a surge in coal, interrupting what had been a long downward trend. But over the course of the year, both trends slowed considerably.
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