Repeats column published earlier, no change to text

By Gavin Maguire

LITTLETON, Colorado, May 21 (Reuters) - The share of natural gas within the power generation mix of the state of Texas has fallen to multi-year lows so far this year as clean energy sources continue to crowd out fossil fuels within the top U.S. oil and gas production hub.

Natural gas-fired power plants generated less than 35% of all utility-supplied electricity in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) power system so far in 2026, data from ERCOT and the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows.

That gas share compares to over 40% just two years ago, and reflects the rapid pace of clean power growth within the largest power-producing state in the country.

RENEWABLES RISING

An 11% jump in combined output from Texas's solar and wind farms during January 1 through May 19 compared to the same period in 2025 has been the main driver of clean power growth in ERCOT.

Total clean power generation so far this year through May 19 was 93.3 million megawatt hours (MWh), which marks an 8% rise from the same time frame in 2025.

Solar power output registered a 27% surge to a record 27 million MWh, while wind output has climbed 5% to nearly 51 million MWh, ERCOT data compiled by EIA shows.

These expansions in renewables output helped offset year-to-date declines in both nuclear and hydro power output, which accounted for around 8.8% and 0.1% of ERCOT's total mix so far this year.

Record clean power generation also helped lift total power supplies by 2% from a year ago to all-time highs of 174 million MWh, ensuring that Texas' overall power supplies continue to grow along with the state's total energy needs.

FOSSIL MILESTONE

The clean power surge through the ERCOT power system also allowed producers to curb generation from both gas- and coal-fired power plants so far in 2026.

Total gas-fired generation dropped 3% from the same period in 2025 to the lowest since 2023, while coal-fired generation dropped by 8% to 21 million MWh and the lowest since 2024.

That curtailment of fossil fuel-fired power generation just as clean power growth has accelerated has allowed clean power sources to edge notably ahead of fossil fuels within ERCOT's generation mix for the first time this year.

From January 1 through May 19, clean power sources generated a record share of nearly 54% of total generation, while fossil fuels accounted for a record low 46% share.

As fossil fuels had accounted for over 60% of ERCOT's power mix until 2020, the rapid swing towards greater clean power generation so far this decade underscores the pace of the ongoing energy transition within Texas.

Gas-fired power production is expected to climb steadily during the summer to help meet higher demand for air conditioners, when ERCOT's total electricity consumption hits its annual peak.

But record-fast deployment of battery storage systems designed to store surplus solar power for later discharge also looks set to extend solar's contribution to the power mix into the evening hours.

This in turn suggests that ERCOT will continue to notch up additional clean power milestones in 2026 to keep Texas at the forefront of power system energy transition efforts in the country.

The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.

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