California produced over half its May electricity from solar, a world record

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Set us as preferred California hit a major milestone in May, generating more than half its electricity from the sun in what is believed to be a global first, according to a new analysis from the U.K.-based energy think tank Ember.“California has had a wealth of solar growth in the last five years,” said Abby Lestina, an analyst at Grid Status, another group that tracks electricity supply and demand in U.S.

power markets.“It makes sense that they would reach this goal.” It’s the first time a large-scale power system is known to have surpassed 50% solar for an entire month and the second significant power record set by the state recently.

For the first five months of 2026, California made more electricity from solar than from natural gas, according to the U.S.Energy Information Administration.

Burning natural gas has long been the dominant source of electricity in the state.This could be the first year that solar beats gas in California’s power mix.

A big part of the story is the boom in new battery storage around the state, which allows it to save solar power when it’s overabundant and use it when the sun goes down.“Battery storage has transformed California’s power system,” Ember analyst Nicolas Fulghum wrote.“Batteries now shift huge amounts of solar power from midday into the evening peak, which is what allows this level of solar penetration in the system.”Ember, which promotes renewable energy, takes its data from the EIA’s monthly power reports.

Its electricity tracker includes only the energy that is produced in state, not imports from Arizona, for example.Solar generation includes both utility-scale solar and rooftop.California was able to pass 50% solar generation in May specifically because it’s usually neither cold nor hot, meaning there’s lower demand, which allows solar to meet mor...