The electric grid brings power to every corner of the U.S., but the electricity flowing through the wires doesn’t come from the same sources everywhere. Depending on where you live, the electricity that makes its way to your property comes from different mixes of generating capacity, from coal to natural gas to renewables like hydropower, solar, and wind.
Key takeaways
- Overall, the United States generates the most electricity with natural gas – 40.5% of all electricity produced, to be exact.
- Renewable energy is very close to being the second-largest producer of electricity in the country at 18.2% of total generation.
- Control where your electricity comes from by installing a rooftop solar system or signing up for community solar.
Where does your state’s electricity come from?
The total mix of electricity flowing through the power grid comes from thousands of individual generators, all connected and supplying electricity to the grid through distribution networks. These generators use all sorts of fuels – mainly, the U.S. electric grid carries electricity generated by coal, natural gas, petroleum, nuclear power, and renewable energy. State by state, the exact percentages of each generating source differ:
State by state electrical generation mix
| STATE | Solar | Other renewables | Coal | Natural gas | Petroleum | Nuclear | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AK | 0.0% | 30.8% | 11.5% | 42.1% | 15.7% | 0.0% | -0.1% |
| AL | 0.5% | 12.1% | 15.8% | 40.2% | 0.0% | 31.7% | 0.0% |
| AR | 0.5% | 10.1% | 28.2% | 33.5% | 0.1% | 27.6% | 0.0% |
| AZ | 5.3% | 6.7% | 12.6% | 46.5% | 0.0% | 28.9% | 0.0% |
| CA | 15.7% | 26.9% | 0.2% | 47.7% | 0.0% | 8.4% | 1.2% |
| CO | 2.8% | 27.8% | 36.0% | 33.6% | -0.3% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| CT | 0.5% | 2.7% | 0.0% | 57.1% | 0.1% | 38.2% | 1.4% |
| DC | 6.3% | 27.3% | 0.0% | 66.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| DE | 1.0% | 1.5% | 2.0% | 92.6% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 2.8% |
| FL | 2.6% | 1.7% | 6.6% | 75.5% | 0.7% | 11.7% | 1.2% |
| GA | 3.1% | 8.4% | 11.6% | 49.3% | 0.2% | 27.3% | 0.1% |
| HI | 5.3% | 10.5% | 12.8% | 0.0% | 67.7% | 0.0% | 3.6% |
| IA | 0.0% | 59.4% | 23.7% | 11.8% | 0.2% | 4.9% | 0.0% |
| ID | 3.2% | 72.9% | 0.1% | 23.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| IL | 0.0% | 9.7% | 18.0% | 14.1% | 0.0% | 57.8% | 0.3% |
| IN | 0.4% | 7.8% | 53.0% | 35.6% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 3.0% |
| KS | 0.1% | 44.1% | 31.1% | 5.1% | 0.1% | 19.4% | 0.0% |
| KY | 0.1% | 8.4% | 68.7% | 22.6% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| LA | 0.0% | 3.3% | 3.9% | 70.2% | 3.4% | 16.8% | 2.3% |
| MA | 7.7% | 9.3% | 0.0% | 77.8% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 5.0% |
| MD | 1.5% | 7.2% | 9.3% | 39.1% | 0.2% | 41.9% | 0.9% |
| ME | 0.3% | 76.5% | 0.6% | 19.0% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 3.3% |
| MI | 0.1% | 9.1% | 26.2% | 34.2% | 0.9% | 28.4% | 1.0% |
| MN | 2.9% | 24.8% | 24.8% | 20.9% | 0.1% | 26.0% | 0.6% |
| MO | 0.1% | 7.3% | 71.3% | 10.4% | 0.1% | 10.7% | 0.0% |
| MS | 0.6% | 2.1% | 6.9% | 80.6% | 0.0% | 9.7% | 0.0% |
| MT | 0.1% | 59.3% | 36.4% | 1.2% | 2.0% | 0.0% | 1.0% |
| NC | 6.7% | 8.8% | 16.7% | 33.3% | 0.1% | 34.0% | 0.4% |
| ND | 0.0% | 38.1% | 58.1% | 3.5% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| NE | 0.1% | 28.8% | 51.0% | 3.3% | 0.0% | 16.8% | 0.0% |
| NH | 0.0% | 16.0% | 0.8% | 22.3% | 0.3% | 60.3% | 0.3% |
| NJ | 2.1% | 1.1% | 1.5% | 50.1% | 0.1% | 43.8% | 1.3% |
| NM | 5.1% | 22.0% | 37.5% | 35.2% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| NV | 13.7% | 15.1% | 4.8% | 66.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| NY | 0.6% | 27.6% | 0.1% | 40.9% | 0.3% | 29.7% | 0.8% |
| OH | 0.1% | 2.8% | 37.2% | 43.3% | 1.0% | 15.1% | 0.6% |
| OK | 0.1% | 39.5% | 7.2% | 53.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| OR | 1.7% | 65.8% | 2.6% | 29.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| PA | 0.1% | 3.4% | 10.2% | 52.5% | 0.0% | 33.2% | 0.6% |
| RI | 2.2% | 4.8% | 0.0% | 93.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| SC | 1.7% | 5.3% | 12.6% | 24.6% | 0.1% | 55.6% | 0.0% |
| SD | 0.0% | 80.5% | 11.7% | 7.8% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| TN | 0.4% | 16.8% | 17.7% | 19.4% | 0.1% | 45.5% | 0.0% |
| TX | 1.8% | 20.0% | 16.6% | 52.1% | 0.0% | 8.8% | 0.6% |
| UT | 6.9% | 5.6% | 61.5% | 25.5% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| VA | 1.3% | 4.2% | 3.7% | 60.8% | 0.2% | 29.2% | 0.5% |
| VT | 8.5% | 91.5% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | -0.1% |
| WA | 0.0% | 75.0% | 4.5% | 12.1% | 0.0% | 8.1% | 0.3% |
| WI | 0.2% | 9.3% | 38.7% | 35.8% | 0.2% | 15.9% | 0.0% |
| WV | 0.0% | 6.2% | 88.6% | 4.9% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| WY | 0.4% | 15.7% | 79.4% | 3.3% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 1.1% |
Interestingly, these percentages can fluctuate significantly! For example, Vermont gets 0% of its electricity from coal and almost 80% from renewables, while Utah is nearly the reverse – 61.5% from coal and only 12.3% from renewables. These differences stem from several factors, with policy playing a major role.
National electricity generation trends
As shown above, electricity generation varies significantly by state. Most states still get their largest chunk of electricity from natural gas, however, and that is reflected in the total U.S. electrical generation mix:
U.S. electricity generation by generating source
| Source | Percentage of total generation |
|---|---|
| Coal | 19.3% |
| Natural gas | 40.5% |
| Petroleum | 0.4% |
| Nuclear | 19.7% |
| Renewables | 18.2% |
| Other | 1.8% |
In that 18.2% of national generation that comes from renewable energy, hydropower and wind energy lead the way with 7.1% and 8.4% of generation respectively. Here’s how the U.S. renewable electricity generation mix plays out:
U.S. renewable electricity generation by generating source
| Source | Percentage of total generation |
|---|---|
| Hydropower | 7.1% |
| Wind | 8.4% |
| Solar | 2.2% |
| Geothermal | 0.4% |
Community solar on the grid
One (still relatively small) part of the 2.2% of electricity on the U.S. grid coming from solar energy is community solar – large, central solar power plants, whose electricity is shared by more than a single property. Community solar isn’t available in every state yet, but in the states that do have active projects, they offer an opportunity to save on your electric bills while supporting the addition of more solar to your local grid.
Interested in joining a community solar project? On the EnergySage Marketplace, you can compare solar farms in your area that are available for subscription. While community solar savings are generally lower than the savings you could see with a rooftop solar panel system, not everyone can install panels on their property. Especially for people who don’t own the home they live in (like renters), community solar is a great way to save money on electricity.
How does the electrical grid work?
The electrical grid is a complex network of electrical generators (i.e., power plants) and transmission and distribution lines that dynamically responds to shifts in electrical supply and demand to make sure electricity is always supplied reliably. Those electrical generators can be any type – from coal and natural gas plants to renewable power stations.
To keep the grid functioning requires a delicate balance between supply and demand, as well as a highly integrated series of components throughout the country. Grid operators, such as the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) and the Pennsylvania-Jersey-Maryland Regional Transmission Operator (PJM RTO), maintain this balance through a mix of market awareness and insights plus forecasts of weather, demand, and supply, with a goal of providing low-cost and reliable electricity service.
Get your electricity from solar and save
Whether you determine a rooftop solar panel system or a community solar subscription is right for you, both are effective ways to save money on your electric bills with renewable energy. In the case of community solar, you’re not necessarily getting the electrons from solar right to your house, but you are contributing to a larger percentage of the grid coming from solar. Get started with rooftop or community solar today to save!
