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NEW | California just reached a world-first solar milestone Over HALF (51%) of electricity generation across the whole month of May came from solar power. Battery storage is the big difference maker, enabling California to push the share of solar generation to this level.

8:40 AM · Jul 28, 2026

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Nicolas Fulghum

@nicolasfulghum

Jul 28

Hungary came close in June 2025 at 47%, but California is the first power system of significant size to cross 50% for a month. ...and California's system is ~5x larger than Hungary's. In May 2012, California crossed 1% solar share for the first time.

Why did the record happen this May? - May combines good solar conditions with modest demand (pre-cooling season) - In-state total electricity generation was slightly lower than last year as electricity imports rose (e.g. from the new SunZia wind in New Mexico), which lifts

Battery storage has transformed California's power system. Batteries now shift huge amounts of solar power from midday into the evening peak. This chart shows utility scale only (no rooftop), but it's a good illustration of just how effective it is.

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Nicolas Fulghum

@nicolasfulghum

Mar 23

Battery storage has proven itself invaluable during California's record-breaking spring heatwave. During peak demand, grid batteries delivered ~11 GW – a third of demand. They kept power price spikes lower and short-lived. Chart for March 19

If you want to access the latest data on electricity generation in the US by state, check out our

@ember_energy

US Electricity Data Explorer which we've just updated with new data and a fresh look:

US Electricity Data Explorer | Ember

From ember-energy.org

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Rex Salisbury

@rexsalisbury

also...

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Blake Scholl

@bscholl

Replying to @chamath

Probably nothing

Andrey Kolesnikov

@minviable_org

23h

Happy to be small contributor

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Franglo Saxon

@Franglo_Saxon

Trump 2.0 will be basically known as the last hurrah of the oil industry - and they all know it.

Thanks awesome, imagine a world where it’s 99%

How does the state have the second highest utility costs, only being bested by Hawaii? Isn’t solar supposed to be low cost? Help.

1.9K

Patrick Staunton

@PatrickinNOLA

Is this a triumph of Solar, or of regulation? The cost per killowatt is double in California than it is in Texas

re buner 22’

@burnermitch22

22h

I thought a benefit of going solar was to reduce the price of electricity? So why is my cost going up?

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Andreas Mueller

@ndreasMueller

Finally, I get to say this. Well done California!

Brian M. Gwyn

@brianmgwyn

19h

The other big difference maker is shutting down as many other forms of baseload power as possible. Congratulations on achieving some of the highest electricity rates in the nation.

Now run the same study in December

Ironically, electricity rates in California are still so high that it only made economic sense for us to install an [efficient] electric heat pump because we have rooftop solar and are grandfathered into NEM 2.0.

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Jens Christiansen

@jenshigh

How much do they import, total energy and hourly max, for such a month?

Tom

@thomasjeans

19h

Unrelated question but what causes this pattern in the chart?

Solar production provided me with 52% of my power and that includes 2 electric cars

During the day, EVERY electron on the grid in Southern California is generated from solar

Then why are my electric bills like 100x higher than they were 5 years ago.

Simple, May was cool and very sunny in CA so no one was using AC. Now do July and August and tell me how it goes.

So why blackouts?

Though I agree with the direction, I wish this didn't come out of mandates but economics.

Mark in SF

@MarkPouncingCat

19h

So why is electricity in CA so damn expensive? I thought solar was "free"?

Winter looks like a problem yet. Yes we need every type of generation possible. Waves, geothermal, wind, natural gas, ocean currents, nuclear, and whatever I missed.