What are the top 10 states for renewable energy?

Across the United States, renewable energy is on the rise. While states like Texas and California are often seen as the giants of renewable energy, many unexpected states are emerging as leaders in the race to 100% renewable power.

Since 2017, together with research partners at Frontier Group, Environment America Research & Policy Center has released state-specific data on renewable energy’s growth. This analysis includes a calculation of each state’s wind, solar and geothermal energy production as a percentage of electricity sales and a map showing state-by-state progress over time. Here’s a look at 2024’s top 10 states ranked by how much wind, solar and geothermal energy that state produced as a percent of retail electricity sales.

10. Colorado – 43% 

Colorado has made significant strides in renewable energy, with 43% of its electricity coming from wind, solar and geothermal sources in 2024. The state’s strong wind and solar resources, combined with ambitious climate policies, have driven this progress.

9. Maine – 44% 

Maine’s strong focus on wind and solar energy has pushed it into the top 10, with 44% of its electricity coming from renewable energy sources. With an 18 times increase in solar production from 2020 to 2024 more Mainers stand to reap the benefits of clean energy for years to come.

8. Nevada – 46% 

Home to some of the sunniest places in the U.S., Nevada has become a solar energy leader. Nevada ranks 5th in the nation for  total solar production. With 46% of its electricity coming from renewable sources, more growth is on the horizon for Nevada.

7. North Dakota – 51%

North Dakota has officially crossed the halfway mark, with the state producing enough energy from renewable sources to meet 51% of its retail electricity sales in 2024. North Dakota ranks 8th in the country in total wind power generation. North Dakota also has abundant solar energy  potential. Solar energy in North Dakota has the technical potential to meet 455 times of the state’s 2021 electricity usage according to We Have the Power.

6. Oklahoma – 54% 

Over 54% of the state’s electricity came from renewable sources in 2024, with wind power singlehandedly outpacing power production from fossil fuels. Oklahoma is a national leader in wind, ranking 3rd in the nation in total wind power generation in 2024. By contrast, Oklahoma’s solar production was modest in 2024, but it’s not for lack of potential. In-state solar could meet 152 times of Oklahoma’s 2020 electricity demand, if maximized.

5. Wyoming – 57% 

Home to 96% of America’s first national park, Wyoming also home to some of the strongest wind resources in the country, and ranks 16th for total wind generation. Renewable energy sources now produce the equivalent of  57% of the state’s electricity sales. 

4. New Mexico – 67% 

With massive solar farms and a booming wind industry and a commitment to get all its electricity from clean energy sources by 2045, New Mexico is climbing the renewable energy ranks fast, with in-state renewables producing the equivalent of 67% of retail electricity sales in 2024. Wind power in New Mexico increased 631% from 2015 to 2024, and solar saw a 567% increase over the same period.

3. Kansas – 74% 

Kansas is a wind power giant, ranking 4th in the country in total wind production. With renewable energy producing enough energy in Kansas to meet 74% of the state’s retail electricity sales, the state is proving that any state can embrace pollution-free energy sources that never run out. With the state’s solar potential at 378 times its 2020 electricity consumption, Kansas is primed to get to 100% renewable energy in the near future.

2. Iowa – 83% 

Iowa is another wind energy powerhouse. But don’t sleep on Iowa’s solar capacity which has seen an over two times increase in solar energy sales between 2020 and 2024. Holding second place in our rankings, renewables in Iowa produce enough electricity to meet 83% of the state’s electricity demand, with more growth likely in 2025.

1. South Dakota – 92% 

The Mount Rushmore State generated a higher percentage of its state electricity sales from renewable energy than any other state in 2024, at 92%. This represents a big jump from 70% last year. Wind power is the renewable energy resource that South Dakota is getting most of its energy from, but solar power is on the rise in South Dakota as well. Solar generation in South Dakota increased six-fold from 2023 to 2024.

The growth of renewable energy is a story of state action, where policies, regulations, and investments are driving progress, Today, advancements in solar, wind, and battery storage technology are making it possible to harness renewable energy more efficiently and affordably than ever before. With continued progress and commitment, repowering America with clean, renewable energy is possible.

Benefits of renewable energy

Wind and solar power reduce our dependence on polluting fossil fuels, with big benefits for our environment and health. Pollution from burning fossil fuels used to be responsible for more than 1 in 10 deaths in the United States each year — more than 350,000 total deaths in 2018. As more people switch to sources of energy that don’t pollute, we gain healthier air, which means fewer asthma attacks, heart disease and premature deaths.

The solar and wind power we’ve already installed in the U.S. have:

• Cut health-threatening sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide pollution from power plants by nearly 1 million metric tons between 2019 and 2022 – enough to prevent an estimated 1,400 premature deaths in 2022.  
• Cut global warming pollution by 900 million metric tons between 2019 and 2022 – an amount of pollution greater than the state of Texas emits in a year.  
• Reduced threats to our waterways such as coal ash spills and leaks of fracking wastewater. 
• Made our electricity system more resilient by reducing dependence on fuels like gas that are volatile in price and, when installed locally on rooftops or in our neighborhoods, helping communities to withstand and recover from disasters.

You can help grow renewable energy in your state by urging Walmart to commit to installing solar panels on all viable roofs and parking lots by 2035. Take action below: