“Solar power generation overtook coal for the first time in US history last month: in May, solar made up 12.8 percent of all electricity generation, compared to 12.2 percent of coal,” reports Futurism.
In the summer months, solar will account for an even bigger share of electricity production, because June and July have more hours of daylight than May.
“The use of coal for power generation has plummeted, almost halving over the last five years alone. Meanwhile, the amount of solar power being generated has more than doubled over the same period.”
“Overtaking coal for the first month on record shows just how far solar has come, from a niche contributor to the third-largest and fastest-growing source of power in the US electricity system,” said Ember senior data analyst Nicolas Fulghum.
Across the world, solar power installations rose by around two-thirds from 2024 to 2025.
In a backward, war-torn country known as the “Dead Heart of Africa,” solar panels are bringing electricity to remote, off-grid places, expanding access to education, healthcare, and critical supplies.
Record numbers of solar panels are being imported in Africa, especially Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria.
In the poorer country north of Nigeria — Niger –people are buying up cheap Chinese solar panels and using them to power their light bulbs and TVs.
