Renewable energy by state research summary. Renewable energy has become increasingly important as companies shift away from fossil fuels, and it is one of the key factors in driving a cleaner, more sustainable future.
To find out more about renewable energy in each state, here are some crucial insights our research uncovered:
-
Texas produces the most renewable energy, with 136.8 million megawatt hours in 2022.
-
In South Dakota, 83% of in-state electricity comes from renewable sources, which is the largest share of any state in the US.
-
New York has the best solar incentives and subsidies in the US.
-
Vermont has the highest percentage of renewable energy jobs, with 5.37% of all jobs being in renewable energy.
-
California has the most renewable energy jobs, with over 505,000 such jobs available across the state.
Renewable energy production by state
Renewable energy production has increased over time, with some states investing in it more than others. Additionally, some states have more optimal conditions for renewable energy than others, such as windy plains or more sunshine.
For more insights on renewable energy production by state, here are some key facts:
Renewable energy production and consumption by state
| State | Total renewable energy produced (in thousand MWh) | Share of renewable energy produced (compared to fossil fuels) | Share of state-produced energy consumed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 4,063 MWh | 9% | 2.7% |
| Alaska | 180 | 27% | 2.7% |
| Arizona | 8,858 | 13% | 8.5% |
| Arkansas | 1,591 | 7% | 2.5% |
| California | 69,488 | 36% | 34.7% |
| Colorado | 19,481 | 33% | 33.8% |
| Connecticut | 1,134 | 2% | 2.6% |
| Delaware | 141 | 2% | 2.8% |
| Florida | 15,261 | 4% | 6.0% |
| Georgia | 12,441 | 7% | 9.9% |
| Hawaii | 1,744 | 14% | 18.5% |
| Idaho | 3,825 | 69% | 22.9% |
| Illinois | 24,382 | 11% | 13.0% |
| Indiana | 10,670 | 10% | 11.4% |
| Iowa | 43,804 | 59% | 62.5% |
| Kansas | 29,429 | 46% | 46.6% |
| Kentucky | 468 | 7% | 0.7% |
| Louisiana | 2,326 | 2% | 2.2% |
| Maine | 4,967 | 56% | 42.2% |
| Maryland | 1,565 | 9% | 4.1% |
| Massachusetts | 3,140 | 15% | 15.0% |
| Michigan | 11,876 | 8% | 10.2% |
| Minnesota | 17,170 | 26% | 28.3% |
| Mississippi | 1,800 | 1% | 2.7% |
| Missouri | 7.711 | 11% | 9.8% |
| Montana | 3,959 | 51% | 14.9% |
| Nebraska | 11,998 | 29% | 29.6% |
| Nevada | 13,091 | 22% | 31.2% |
| New Hampshire | 1,491 | 9% | 8.4% |
| New Jersey | 2,287 | 2% | 3.5% |
| New Mexico | 16,078 | 36% | 40.5% |
| New York | 8,170 | 28% | 6.5% |
| North Carolina | 13,841 | 13% | 10.5% |
| North Dakota | 16,754 | 39% | 37.2% |
| Ohio | 4,532 | 3% | 3.3% |
| Oklahoma | 37,694 | 44% | 44.5% |
| Oregon | 11,427 | 64% | 18.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 5,637 | 3% | 2.4% |
| Rhode Island | 815 | 5% | 9.2% |
| South Carolina | 4,551 | 5% | 4.6% |
| South Dakota | 10,195 | 83% | 53.8% |
| Tennessee | 1,355 | 15% | 1.7% |
| Texas | 136,827 | 26% | 26.6% |
| Utah | 5,048 | 11% | 12.7% |
| Vermont | 1,058 | 76% | 50.5% |
| Virginia | 8,174 | 5% | 9.0% |
| Washington | 10,841 | 74% | 9.0% |
| West Virginia | 1,946 | 4% | 3.4% |
| Wisconsin | 3,740 | 6% | 6.1% |
| Wyoming | 10,586 | 22% | 23.6% |
-
Iowa uses the highest share of the renewable energy it produces, at 62.5%.
Though South Dakota has the highest percentage of in-state electricity production, Iowa consumes the highest share of the renewable energy it produces. On the other end, less than 1% of Kentucky’s energy usage comes from the renewables it produces.
Top 10 states by share of state-produced energy consumed
State Renewable energy consumed Iowa 62.5% South Dakota 53.8% Vermont 50.5% Kansas 46.6% Oklahoma 44.5% Maine 42.2% New Mexico 40.5% North Dakota 37.2% California 34.7% Colorado 33.8% -
In South Dakota, 83% of in-state electricity comes from renewable sources.
Conversely, only 1% of Mississippi’s energy usage comes from the renewables it produces, making it one of the worst states for renewables.
Top 10 states by share of renewable energy produced
State Renewable energy produced South Dakota 83% Vermont 76% Washington 74% Idaho 69% Oregon 64% Iowa 59% Maine 56% Kansas 46% Oklahoma 44% North Dakota 39% -
Texas produced the most renewable energy in the US at 136.8 million MWh in 2022.
Texas has taken the title of the largest renewable energy producer in the US in recent years, followed by these states:
Top 10 states by total renewable energy produced
State Renewable energy produced (in thousand MWh) Texas 136,827 MWh California 69,488 Iowa 43,804 Oklahoma 37,694 Kansas 29,429 Illinois 24,382 Colorado 19,481 Minnesota 17,170 North Dakota 16,754 New Mexico 16,078
Renewable energy production by source
Renewable energy has many sources, and different states might have an easier or harder time producing energy from them. From solar energy to hydro energy, here are some interesting facts about what the states produce:
Renewable energy produced as a share of total energy produced by state
| State | Hydro energy | Wind energy | Solar energy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 8% | 0% | 0% |
| Alaska | 25% | 2% | 0% |
| Arizona | 6% | 1% | 6% |
| Arkansas | 7% | 0% | 1% |
| California | 8% | 8% | 19% |
| Colorado | 3% | 27% | 3% |
| Connecticut | 1% | 0% | 1% |
| Delaware | 0% | 0% | 2% |
| Florida | 0% | 0% | 4% |
| Georgia | 3% | 0% | 4% |
| Hawaii | 1% | 8% | 6% |
| Idaho | 49% | 17% | 3% |
| Illinois | 0% | 11% | 0% |
| Indiana | 0% | 9% | 1% |
| Iowa | 2% | 57% | 0% |
| Kansas | 0% | 46% | 0% |
| Kentucky | 7% | 0% | 0% |
| Louisiana | 2% | 0% | 0% |
| Maine | 27% | 28% | 2% |
| Maryland | 6% | 1% | 2% |
| Massachusetts | 6% | 1% | 8% |
| Michigan | 1% | 7% | 0% |
| Minnesota | 1% | 21% | 3% |
| Mississippi | 0% | 0% | 1% |
| Missouri | 2% | 9% | 0% |
| Montana | 37% | 14% | 0% |
| Nebraska | 3% | 26% | 0% |
| Nevada | 5% | 1% | 16% |
| New Hampshire | 6% | 3% | 0% |
| New Jersey | 0% | 0% | 2% |
| New Mexico | 0% | 30% | 5% |
| New York | 23% | 3% | 1% |
| North Carolina | 5% | 0% | 8% |
| North Dakota | 5% | 35% | 0% |
| Ohio | 0% | 2% | 1% |
| Oklahoma | 3% | 41% | 0% |
| Oregon | 46% | 16% | 2% |
| Pennsylvania | 1% | 1% | 0% |
| Rhode Island | 0% | 2% | 3% |
| South Carolina | 3% | 0% | 2% |
| South Dakota | 29% | 54% | 0% |
| Tennessee | 14% | 0% | 0% |
| Texas | 0% | 23% | 3% |
| Utah | 1% | 2% | 8% |
| Vermont | 52% | 16% | 8% |
| Virginia | 1% | 0% | 4% |
| Washington | 66% | 9% | 0% |
| West Virginia | 2% | 3% | 0% |
| Wisconsin | 3% | 3% | 1% |
| Wyoming | 2% | 20% | 0% |
-
Texas has the highest installed capacity of wind energy at 37,422 Megawatts.
Texas may produce the most wind energy, but wind energy isn’t the largest share of its energy production. That distinction goes to Iowa, where 57% of all energy produced is wind energy. On the other hand, these 14 states don’t produce any wind energy:
-
Alabama
-
Arkansas
-
Connecticut
-
Delaware
-
Florida
-
Georgia
-
Kentucky
-
Louisiana
-
Mississippi
-
New Jersey
-
North Carolina
-
South Carolina
-
Tennessee
-
Virginia
Top 10 states by total wind energy produced
State Wind energy produced (Megawatts) Share of total energy produced Texas 37,422 MW 23% Iowa 12,428 57% Oklahoma 11,992 41% Kansas 8,245 46% Illinois 7,037 11% California 6,117 8% Colorado 5,198 27% Minnesota 4,578 21% North Dakota 4,302 35% New Mexico 4,235 30% -
-
California produces the most solar energy at 31,873 Megawatts.
Known for mild weather and sunny beaches, it may be no surprise that California produces the most solar energy. California is also the state where solar has the highest share of energy produced, as 19% of all energy produced is solar. Here is a list of the top 10 solar-producing states:
Top 10 states by total solar energy produced
State Solar energy produced (Megawatts) Share of total energy produced California 31,873 MW 19% Texas 9,311 3% North Carolina 7,132 8% Florida 7,074 4% Arizona 5,247 6% Nevada 3,904 8% New Jersey 3,653 16% Massachusetts 3,263 8% Georgia 3,069 4% New York 2,840 1% -
Washington State produced 31% of all US hydropower in 2022.
Washington State produces an average of 80,510 million kWh of hydropower. Hydropower has been one of the strongest renewable energies for a long time, and most of it is produced by a few states. Here is a list of the top 10 states for hydropower:
Top 10 states by total hydro energy produced
State Hydro energy produced (million kWh) Share of total energy produced Washington 80,510 million kWh 66% Oregon 32,107 46% New York 27,461 23% California 17,301 8% Montana 10,302 37% Nevada 10,094 5% Tennessee 9,830 14% Idaho 8,839 49% Arizona 5,511 6% South Dakota 5,488 29% -
Renewable energy accounts for 21.5% of all US energy.*
More specifically, 10.2% comes from wind, 6.2% from hydropower, 3.4% from solar, 1.3% from biomass, and 0.4% from geothermal. On the other hand, natural gas accounts for the highest share of energy produced in the US, at 39.8% all on its own.
Renewable energy incentives by state
Some states offer incentives to encourage homeowners to adopt renewable energy. In these states, solar panels and other renewable energy sources are a much cheaper investment. Curious about which states are the best? Consider these statistics:
-
Twenty states offer energy credit incentives for solar panels.
Nearly half of all US states now offer energy credit incentives for homeowners who want to install solar panels. These states include:
-
Arizona
-
California
-
Colorado
-
Connecticut
-
Florida
-
Hawaii
-
Illinois
-
Massachusetts
-
Maryland
-
Nevada
-
New Hampshire
-
New Jersey
-
New Mexico
-
New York
-
Pennsylvania
-
Rhode Island
-
South Carolina
-
Texas
-
Vermont
-
Wisconsin
-
-
The federal Residential Clean Energy Credit now equals 30% of the costs of new, qualified clean energy property.
The US federal government is working toward incentivizing renewable energy for households, especially in the form of solar panels. As of 2023, US homeowners can have up to 30% of the cost of new renewable energy covered.
Renewable energy jobs by state
Renewable energy jobs can be harder or easier to find depending on the state you live in, and the best states might not be what you’d expect. Here are some interesting statistics about the best states for renewable energy jobs:
| State | Number of renewable energy jobs |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 41,984 |
| Alaska | 5,006 |
| Arizona | 59,383 |
| Arkansas | 19,965 |
| California | 505,083 |
| Colorado | 61,179 |
| Connecticut | 41,458 |
| Delaware | 12,268 |
| Florida | 158,467 |
| Georgia | 75,211 |
| Hawaii | 12,873 |
| Idaho | 13,409 |
| Illinois | 120,775 |
| Indiana | 86,215 |
| Iowa | 30,393 |
| Kansas | 23,821 |
| Kentucky | 35,437 |
| Louisiana | 28,094 |
| Maine | 12,493 |
| Maryland | 80,025 |
| Massachusetts | 113,409 |
| Michigan | 119,853 |
| Minnesota | 57,931 |
| Mississippi | 20,018 |
| Missouri | 54,397 |
| Montana | 9,898 |
| Nebraska | 18,822 |
| Nevada | 32,378 |
| New Hampshire | 15,915 |
| New Jersey | 53,334 |
| New Mexico | 12,014 |
| New York | 160,642 |
| North Carolina | 103,854 |
| North Dakota | 8,614 |
| Ohio | 110,272 |
| Oklahoma | 21,602 |
| Oregon | 53,869 |
| Pennsylvania | 92,773 |
| Rhode Island | 14,309 |
| South Carolina | 44,011 |
| South Dakota | 11,860 |
| Tennessee | 77,685 |
| Texas | 238,884 |
| Utah | 43,452 |
| Vermont | 15,668 |
| Virginia | 92,315 |
| Washington | 76,905 |
| West Virginia | 9,540 |
| Wisconsin | 71,370 |
| Wyoming | 8,226 |
| Alabama | 41,984 |
| Alaska | 5,006 |
| Arizona | 59,383 |
| Arkansas | 19,965 |
| California | 505,083 |
| Colorado | 61,179 |
| Connecticut | 41,458 |
| Delaware | 12,268 |
| Florida | 158,467 |
| Georgia | 75,211 |
| Hawaii | 12,873 |
| Idaho | 13,409 |
| Illinois | 120,775 |
| Indiana | 86,215 |
| Iowa | 30,393 |
| Kansas | 23,821 |
| Kentucky | 35,437 |
| Louisiana | 28,094 |
| Maine | 12,493 |
| Maryland | 80,025 |
| Massachusetts | 113,409 |
| Michigan | 119,853 |
| Minnesota | 57,931 |
| Mississippi | 20,018 |
| Missouri | 54,397 |
| Montana | 9,898 |
| Nebraska | 18,822 |
| Nevada | 32,378 |
| New Hampshire | 15,915 |
| New Jersey | 53,334 |
| New Mexico | 12,014 |
| New York | 160,642 |
| North Carolina | 103,854 |
| North Dakota | 8,614 |
| Ohio | 110,272 |
| Oklahoma | 21,602 |
| Oregon | 53,869 |
| Pennsylvania | 92,773 |
| Rhode Island | 14,309 |
| South Carolina | 44,011 |
| South Dakota | 11,860 |
| Tennessee | 77,685 |
| Texas | 238,884 |
| Utah | 43,452 |
| Vermont | 15,668 |
| Virginia | 92,315 |
| Washington | 76,905 |
| West Virginia | 9,540 |
| Wisconsin | 71,370 |
| Wyoming | 8,226 |
-
California has the most renewable energy jobs available at just over 505,000.
California, Texas, New York, and Florida have the most renewable energy jobs, as they have some of the largest populations. Despite this, California only ranks 6th for the share of renewable energy jobs as a percentage of the total of the overall workforce. In this regard, Vermont is actually #1 with 5.37% of all jobs being in renewable energy (15,668 jobs).
Top 10 states for renewable energy jobs
State Share of overall workforce Renewable energy jobs available Vermont 5.37% 15,668 Massachusetts 3.29% 113,409 Maryland 3.12% 80,025 Rhode Island 3.07% 14,309 Wyoming 3.05% 8,226 California 3.01% 505,083 Oregon 2.84% 53,869 Michigan 2.81% 119,853 Delaware 2.79% 12,268 Indiana 2.74% 86,215 -
Alaska has the least renewable energy jobs available at just over 5,000.
Alaska has a small number of renewable energy jobs available, in part due to its small population. Conversely, the state with the lowest share of renewable energy jobs when compared to the overall workforce is Oklahoma, where only 1.31% of jobs are in renewable energy (20,132 jobs).
Bottom 10 states for renewable energy jobs
State Share of overall workforce Renewable energy jobs available Oklahoma 1.31% 21,602 New Jersey 1.33% 53,334 West Virginia 1.39% 9,540 New Mexico 1.44% 12,014 Louisiana 1.52% 28,094 Arkansas 1.59% 19,965 Pennsylvania 1.59% 92,773 Idaho 1.64% 13,409 Georgia 1.66% 75,211 Kansas 1.70% 23,821
Renewable energy FAQ
-
What state produces the most renewable energy?
Texas produces the most renewable energy at 136.8 million megawatt hours. However, Texas is also a major fossil fuel producer, meaning renewable energy sources only account for around 26% of the energy the state produces.
On the other hand, South Dakota only produces 10,195 million MWh of renewable energy, but 83% of the energy produced in the state is renewable.
-
What state has the most renewable energy jobs?
California has the most renewable energy jobs at over 505,000. California also ranks 6th in the nation for the share of all renewable energy jobs (3.01%). In that regard, Vermont is actually #1 — despite only offering 15,668 renewable energy jobs, 5.37% of all jobs in Vermont are in renewable energy.
Conclusion
Renewable energy is becoming a more and more popular option across the US. Today, 21.5% of all energy produced in the US comes from renewable sources, and the federal government is offering more residential clean energy credits.
However, no two states are the same. While Texas is a powerhouse of renewable energy production, states like South Dakota and Iowa are making the most of the renewable energy they produce. Conversely, other states like Mississippi and Kentucky lag behind.
Overall, renewable energy production and renewable energy jobs will likely continue to increase as the demand for clean energy sources increases. Therefore, we can expect more and more states to ramp up renewable energy production.
References
-
Climate Connections – Which state is winning at renewable energy production?
-
EcoWatch – 2023 Solar Incentives and Rebates (Top 9 Ranked States)
-
U.S. News – These States Have the Most Clean Energy Jobs
-
Nebraska Energy Statistics – Wind Facilities’ Installed Capacity by State
-
EcoWatch – These 10 States Are Leading Solar Energy Installation in 2023
-
EIA – Hydropower explained
-
Renewable Energy World – Here’s how your state ranks by total clean energy jobs
Author
Jack Flynn is a writer for Zippia. In his professional career he’s written over 100 research papers, articles and blog posts. Some of his most popular published works include his writing about economic terms and research into job classifications. Jack received his BS from Hampshire College.
