US states by solar electricity generation

California had the highest solar electricity generation of 50 states in 2015, at 20.83 TWh. North Dakota had the lowest, at 0 TWh. The median was 0.09 TWh and the figure for the United States was 39.03 TWh. Source: the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Highest20.83California
Median0.0950 states
United States39.03History

All states, 2015

California: 20.83 TWhCalifornia20.83Arizona: 4.83 TWhArizona4.83New Jersey: 2.06 TWhNew Jersey2.06Nevada: 1.84 TWhNevada1.84North Carolina: 1.46 TWhNorth Carolina1.46Massachusetts: 1.31 TWhMassachusetts1.31New Mexico: 0.76 TWhNew Mexico0.76New York: 0.69 TWhNew York0.69Hawaii: 0.69 TWhHawaii0.69Colorado: 0.64 TWhColorado0.64Texas: 0.62 TWhTexas0.62Maryland: 0.46 TWhMaryland0.46Florida: 0.38 TWhFlorida0.38Pennsylvania: 0.33 TWhPennsylvania0.33Georgia: 0.23 TWhGeorgia0.23Connecticut: 0.22 TWhConnecticut0.22Indiana: 0.17 TWhIndiana0.17Missouri: 0.16 TWhMissouri0.16Louisiana: 0.15 TWhLouisiana0.15Ohio: 0.15 TWhOhio0.15Tennessee: 0.14 TWhTennessee0.14Delaware: 0.13 TWhDelaware0.13Oregon: 0.12 TWhOregon0.12Vermont: 0.1 TWhVermont0.1Utah: 0.1 TWhUtah0.1Illinois: 0.08 TWhIllinois0.08Washington: 0.06 TWhWashington0.06Iowa: 0.04 TWhIowa0.04Michigan: 0.04 TWhMichigan0.04District of Columbia: 0.03 TWhDistrict of Columbia0.03Virginia: 0.03 TWhVirginia0.03Wisconsin: 0.03 TWhWisconsin0.03Minnesota: 0.03 TWhMinnesota0.03Rhode Island: 0.03 TWhRhode Island0.03New Hampshire: 0.02 TWhNew Hampshire0.02Maine: 0.02 TWhMaine0.02Kentucky: 0.01 TWhKentucky0.01South Carolina: 0.01 TWhSouth Carolina0.01Montana: 0.01 TWhMontana0.01Kansas: 0.01 TWhKansas0.01Arkansas: 0.01 TWhArkansas0.01Idaho: 0.01 TWhIdaho0.01Oklahoma: 0 TWhOklahoma0West Virginia: 0 TWhWest Virginia0Alabama: 0 TWhAlabama0Wyoming: 0 TWhWyoming0Mississippi: 0 TWhMississippi0Nebraska: 0 TWhNebraska0South Dakota: 0 TWhSouth Dakota0North Dakota: 0 TWhNorth Dakota0
TWh. Source: EIA, Electricity data browser: net generation, all solar (utility-scale and estimated small-scale), all sectors, annual (EIA-923 and EIA-861M) via Data Commons. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Full ranking

RankStates2015
TWh
Change on 2014
1California20.83+42.6%
2Arizona4.83+13.8%
3New Jersey2.06+9.3%
4Nevada1.84+65%
5North Carolina1.46+81.8%
6Massachusetts1.31+41%
7New Mexico0.76+19.3%
8New York0.69+63.8%
9Hawaii0.69+16.3%
10Colorado0.64+6%
11Texas0.62+40%
12Maryland0.46+30.4%
13Florida0.38+5.4%
14Pennsylvania0.33+3.5%
15Georgia0.23+5.1%
16Connecticut0.22+56.8%
17Indiana0.17+50.9%
18Missouri0.16+33.1%
19Louisiana0.15+48.1%
20Ohio0.15+10.6%
21Tennessee0.14+55.9%
22Delaware0.13+5.7%
23Oregon0.12+11.7%
24Vermont0.1+81.1%
25Utah0.1+150.4%
26Illinois0.08+7.1%
27Washington0.06+54%
28Iowa0.04+68.2%
29Michigan0.04+11.9%
30District of Columbia0.03+6.3%
31Virginia0.03+36%
32Wisconsin0.03+17.2%
33Minnesota0.03+32.1%
34Rhode Island0.03+31.1%
35New Hampshire0.02+65.9%
36Maine0.02+42.6%
37Kentucky0.01+9.7%
38South Carolina0.01+30.1%
39Montana0.01-28%
40Kansas0.01+112.4%
41Arkansas0.01+30.6%
42Idaho0.01+43.7%
43Oklahoma0+108.9%
44West Virginia0+23%
45Alabama0+3.6%
46Wyoming0+15.1%
47Mississippi0-25%
48Nebraska0+29%
49South Dakota0+27.8%
50North Dakota0-15%

Other periods

About this ranking

Net electricity generated from solar energy in the year, in terawatt hours: utility-scale photovoltaic and solar thermal plants of 1 megawatt or more, plus the U.S. Energy Information Administration's estimate of small-scale photovoltaic systems such as rooftop panels.

United States and its states only, from 2014, the first year of EIA's small-scale estimates. The state total in electricity generation leaves small-scale solar out, so solar divided by that total overstates its share.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. 1 states with data in other periods have no value for 2015 and are left out rather than filled from another source. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration. Electricity data browser: net generation, all solar (utility-scale and estimated small-scale), all sectors, annual (EIA-923 and EIA-861M). Retrieved through Data Commons (datacommons.org). https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

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Questions

Which state has the highest solar electricity generation?

California, with 20.83 TWh in 2015, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Which state has the lowest solar electricity generation?

North Dakota, with 0 TWh in 2015.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electricity data browser: net generation, all solar (utility-scale and estimated small-scale), all sectors, annual (EIA-923 and EIA-861M). Retrieved 2026-10-11. 1 states have no value for 2015 and are not ranked.

US states: more rankings