Solar in California surpassed natural gas in the first five months of 2026

Solar generation surpassed natural gas in California's grid during the first five months of 2026, with solar outproducing natural gas on 82% of days compared to just 21% in 2024. This shift was driven by a 21% increase in solar generation and a 60% decrease in natural gas generation, supported by significant growth in solar capacity (up 19% to 25 GW) and battery storage capacity (up 79% to 16 GW) over the past two years. Despite growing demand, California increasingly imported affordable electricity from hydroelectric sources in the Pacific Northwest and the new SunZia wind project in New Mexico.