Renewable Energy Production by State
Renewable and solar energy is an important part of the movement toward net-zero emissions. The U.S. invested over $270 billion into clean energy projects and manufacturing facilities from August 2022 to August 2023 and has set lofty goals to increase clean energy production and accessibility. As renewable energy becomes more common, homeowners can install solar panels on their homes and take advantage of federal solar tax credits to save on energy costs and support the country’s clean energy transition. It’s worth learning more about solar both for financial and environmental reasons.
We analyzed net renewable energy generation data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) electric data browser from Q3 2022 to Q3 2023. Data is represented by megawatt hours (MWh) in thousands, leaving out biomass and nuclear energy. Learn more about our methodology by referencing the individualized section at the bottom of the page.
Key Findings
- U.S. renewable energy production increased by 4% from Q3 2022 to Q3 2023, growing to 199,576 thousand MWh.
- Solar energy production in the U.S. increased by 19.7%, the highest rate of any renewable energy category.
- Texas created the most renewable energy of any state, producing 36,270 thousand MWh in Q3 2023, a year-over-year increase of 22.2%.
- Fossil fuel production grew 1.4% to 790,144 thousand MWh of energy, nearly four times the amount produced by renewables.
What Is Renewable Energy?
“Renewable energy is energy derived from natural sources that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed,” according to the United Nations. Renewable energy is more beneficial to the environment than fossil fuels, which exist in limited supply and create significantly more greenhouse gas emissions. We’ll focus on the four main sources of renewable energy: solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal.
- Solar Energy: Solar technology converts sunlight into electrical energy that can be used for heating, cooling, and fuel. Solar panel costs range from $17,000–$24,000, and each panel lasts for around 30 years. Solar energy is on the rise in the residential sector, with 1 in 4 U.S. homeowners planning to install solar by 2028.
- Wind Energy: Wind power is the largest renewable energy source in the U.S. This form of power involves harnessing the kinetic energy of moving air using wind turbines installed on either land or sea. Wind speeds vary by location, and remote areas often have the most potential.
- Hydroelectric Energy: Hydroelectric energy uses water moving from higher to lower elevations to generate power. Hydropower plants can use reservoirs and rivers to generate energy. This method of energy production can be inconsistent due to drought conditions or changes in rainfall patterns.
- Geothermal Energy: Geothermal energy is produced in much smaller quantities than other types of renewable power in the U.S. This type of power comes from accessible thermal energy found in the Earth’s interior. Some hydrothermal reservoirs naturally produce sufficient energy, while other reservoirs require hydraulic stimulation to produce more energy.
Renewable Energy Production in the U.S.
Western states produced the most renewable energy on average in the third quarter of 2023. This region had four of the top 10 states with the highest renewable energy production, including California in second place. On average, the South produced the second most renewable energy as a region: Texas, Oklahoma, and North Carolina are all in the top 10.
The U.S. as a whole produced 199,576 thousand MWh of renewable energy in Q3 2023. One megawatt is the same as 1,000 kilowatts of electricity generated per hour. A single MWh is enough energy to power 173 American homes, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.
More than 42% of the total U.S. production of renewable energy was wind-powered. Hydroelectric came in second, followed closely by solar. Geothermal made up only 2% of the total green energy produced. Solar and hydroelectric energy production increased from the start to the end of 2023, while wind and geothermal production decreased.
Which States Produce the Most Renewable Energy?
Texas led the country in total renewable energy production in Q3 2023, producing 36,270 thousand MWh. California followed at 28,784 thousand MWh. Washington was the only other state with more than 10,000 thousand MWh produced, at 16,070 thousand MWh. Oklahoma and New York rounded out the top five states for total renewable energy production.
Texas easily led the nation in wind energy, producing 26,806 thousand MWh in Q3 2023. Washington had the highest hydroelectric production at 14,377 thousand MWh. Behind Washington was California, which led in solar and geothermal energy production. Only eight states produced any geothermal energy in Q3 2023.
Despite having the third-highest amount of renewable energy and the highest hydroelectric production, Washington saw renewable energy production decrease by 26.7% from Q3 2022 to Q3 2023. Its production of hydroelectric power decreased by 29.1%. Oregon also saw a significant drop-off during the year, with renewable energy production falling 22.2%.
Only four states produced solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal energy: California, Oregon, Nevada, and Idaho.
Full Data
Review our team’s full dataset below:
Methodology
To determine renewable energy production by state, we analyzed net energy generation data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and represented megawatt hours in thousands. We included all-scale utility solar, wind, geothermal, and hydroelectric generation for renewable energy. Due to insufficient data for 11 states, we didn’t include biomass production in our renewable energy calculations. Nuclear energy is clean but isn’t renewable, so it was left out of our calculations.
Questions about our study? Please contact the author here.
Fair Use Policy
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