US states by solar electricity generation

California had the highest solar electricity generation of 51 states in 2020, at 47.68 TWh. North Dakota had the lowest, at 0 TWh. The median was 0.46 TWh and the figure for the United States was 130.72 TWh. Source: the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Highest47.68California
Median0.4651 states
United States130.72History

All states, 2020

California: 47.68 TWhCalifornia47.68Texas: 10.15 TWhTexas10.15Arizona: 8.75 TWhArizona8.75North Carolina: 8.63 TWhNorth Carolina8.63Florida: 7.63 TWhFlorida7.63Nevada: 6.41 TWhNevada6.41Georgia: 4.11 TWhGeorgia4.11New Jersey: 3.81 TWhNew Jersey3.81Massachusetts: 3.73 TWhMassachusetts3.73New York: 3.13 TWhNew York3.13Utah: 3.12 TWhUtah3.12Colorado: 2.2 TWhColorado2.2New Mexico: 2.11 TWhNew Mexico2.11South Carolina: 2.09 TWhSouth Carolina2.09Minnesota: 1.77 TWhMinnesota1.77Hawaii: 1.69 TWhHawaii1.69Virginia: 1.58 TWhVirginia1.58Maryland: 1.52 TWhMaryland1.52Oregon: 1.34 TWhOregon1.34Connecticut: 0.95 TWhConnecticut0.95Pennsylvania: 0.73 TWhPennsylvania0.73Idaho: 0.65 TWhIdaho0.65Indiana: 0.53 TWhIndiana0.53Illinois: 0.51 TWhIllinois0.51Rhode Island: 0.49 TWhRhode Island0.49Missouri: 0.46 TWhMissouri0.46Mississippi: 0.45 TWhMississippi0.45Tennessee: 0.41 TWhTennessee0.41Ohio: 0.4 TWhOhio0.4Alabama: 0.38 TWhAlabama0.38Arkansas: 0.36 TWhArkansas0.36Vermont: 0.36 TWhVermont0.36Michigan: 0.31 TWhMichigan0.31Louisiana: 0.3 TWhLouisiana0.3Washington: 0.3 TWhWashington0.3Iowa: 0.23 TWhIowa0.23Wisconsin: 0.22 TWhWisconsin0.22Delaware: 0.18 TWhDelaware0.18Wyoming: 0.18 TWhWyoming0.18New Hampshire: 0.16 TWhNew Hampshire0.16District of Columbia: 0.13 TWhDistrict of Columbia0.13Maine: 0.12 TWhMaine0.12Kansas: 0.11 TWhKansas0.11Kentucky: 0.09 TWhKentucky0.09Oklahoma: 0.09 TWhOklahoma0.09Nebraska: 0.07 TWhNebraska0.07Montana: 0.07 TWhMontana0.07West Virginia: 0.02 TWhWest Virginia0.02Alaska: 0.01 TWhAlaska0.01South 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

RankStates2020
TWh
Change on 2019
1California47.68+9.6%
2Texas10.15+89.2%
3Arizona8.75+11.5%
4North Carolina8.63+11.8%
5Florida7.63+66.2%
6Nevada6.41+16.7%
7Georgia4.11+66.5%
8New Jersey3.81+13.4%
9Massachusetts3.73+13.6%
10New York3.13+31.8%
11Utah3.12+17.8%
12Colorado2.2+19%
13New Mexico2.11+26.8%
14South Carolina2.09+76.3%
15Minnesota1.77+31.1%
16Hawaii1.69+22.8%
17Virginia1.58+46.7%
18Maryland1.52+4.2%
19Oregon1.34+47.9%
20Connecticut0.95+28.5%
21Pennsylvania0.73+26.8%
22Idaho0.65+6.1%
23Indiana0.53+16.8%
24Illinois0.51+101.8%
25Rhode Island0.49+110.5%
26Missouri0.46+17.2%
27Mississippi0.45+32.4%
28Tennessee0.41-1.6%
29Ohio0.4+19.3%
30Alabama0.38-3.9%
31Arkansas0.36+45.8%
32Vermont0.36+18.8%
33Michigan0.31+22.7%
34Louisiana0.3+22.4%
35Washington0.3+19.1%
36Iowa0.23+31.9%
37Wisconsin0.22+60%
38Delaware0.18+2.4%
39Wyoming0.18-5.8%
40New Hampshire0.16+23.8%
41District of Columbia0.13+27.2%
42Maine0.12+39.4%
43Kansas0.11+112.4%
44Kentucky0.09+10.4%
45Oklahoma0.09+17.5%
46Nebraska0.07+58.3%
47Montana0.07+23.5%
48West Virginia0.02+24.3%
49Alaska0.01+65.6%
50South Dakota0+20.9%
51North Dakota0+17.2%

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. 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 47.68 TWh in 2020, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Which state has the lowest solar electricity generation?

North Dakota, with 0 TWh in 2020.

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.

US states: more rankings