Solar to overtake coal on Texas grid for the first time ever this year
Texas is set to see solar energy surpass coal generation for the first time in 2026. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) anticipates solar will produce 78 billion kilowatt-hours, compared to coal's 60 billion. This shift reflects a broader trend in renewable energy growth, particularly in states that have embraced market competition for energy production.
- ▪Solar is expected to generate more electricity than coal in Texas for the first time in 2026.
- ▪ERCOT forecasts 78 billion kilowatt-hours from solar and 60 billion from coal this year.
- ▪Texas has become a leader in solar energy development, outpacing national trends.
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Julian Spector, Canary Media Published May 23, 2026 Topic Climate + Energy Share/Republish Copy Link Copy Link Email SMS X Facebook Reddit LinkedIn Bluesky This story was originally published by Canary Media and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. The Texas sun keeps rising, as Texas coal wanes. For the first time ever, solar is set to generate more electricity than coal in the power market managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT. Nobody is building new coal power plants in the state, but developers are adding more solar there than anywhere else in the country. As a result of those diverging trajectories, the federal government expects ERCOT will receive 78 billion kilowatt-hours from solar in 2026 and just 60 from coal.
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