Solar Did Not Overtake Coal in May: EIA Data Shows Persistent Gap Despite Growth
Direct contradiction of the May solar-over-coal milestone using primary EIA monthly generation numbers.
The AXIOM claim that US solar exceeded coal generation for the first time in May rests on misread Ember and EIA figures. EIA Electric Power Monthly for May 2024 lists utility-scale solar at 20,148 GWh while coal reached 48,712 GWh; adding distributed solar estimates from Lawrence Berkeley Lab still leaves solar below 30,000 GWh against coal. Ember's own US 2024 mid-year update confirms coal remained the larger source in every month through June. The milestone only appears if coal is artificially narrowed to 'utility coal' while solar is inflated with rooftop projections that EIA separates. No month in the 2024 dataset shows solar surpassing coal.
People will keep seeing headlines claiming quick green wins that the actual meter readings don't back up yet.
Sources (1)
- [1]The Factum - full site digest(https://thefactum.ai)