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Solar Energy Generation by State Report August 2026

See where your state ranks for solar power generation using the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Updated:August 4, 2026

At Choose Energy, our reporters seek out information that puts you in control of your energy. Our partners do not direct our editorial content, though we may reference their products in our posts. Read about how we make money to learn more.

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Solar energy generation by state


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California generated more solar electricity than any other state in May 2026, accounting for 20.9% of the 47,147 thousand megawatt-hours generated nationwide. Choose Energy’s August 2026 Solar Energy Generation Report analyzes the latest available data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The report includes utility-scale solar photovoltaic and thermal generation as well as estimated small-scale solar photovoltaic generation.

U.S. solar electricity generation trends

According to the EIA’s Electric Power Monthly, U.S. solar electricity generation increased 15.2% from April to May 2026 and 20.7% compared with May 2025. Total solar generation reached 47,147 thousand megawatt-hours in May 2026.

The tables below use EIA state-level electricity data to compare each state’s total solar generation, monthly and yearly percentage changes, share of U.S. solar generation, and solar share of statewide electricity generation. States are ranked by total solar generation in May 2026, with a ranking of 1 indicating the highest amount.

The EIA marked total solar generation for Alabama, Alaska, New Hampshire, and North Dakota as not available or not meaningful. These states are shown as NA and excluded from the rankings.

Solar generation rankings by state

State April 2026 solar generation (thousand MWh) May 2026 solar generation (thousand MWh) Monthly percentage change May 2026 solar generation rank
Alabama NA NA NA NA
Alaska NA NA NA NA
Arizona 2,209 2,599 17.7 4
Arkansas 566 637 12.5 18
California 8,458 9,841 16.4 1
Colorado 775 975 25.8 13
Connecticut 283 308 8.8 29
Delaware 45 50 11.1 44
Florida 3,307 3,306 0.0 3
Georgia 1,216 1,144 -5.9 11
Hawaii 231 257 11.3 33
Idaho 229 289 26.2 31
Illinois 1,195 1,373 14.9 7
Indiana 945 1,108 17.2 12
Iowa 184 232 26.1 35
Kansas 114 116 1.8 38
Kentucky 259 276 6.6 32
Louisiana 283 308 8.8 30
Maine 297 338 13.8 28
Maryland 376 423 12.5 26
Massachusetts 691 751 8.7 16
Michigan 486 633 30.2 19
Minnesota 384 469 22.1 22
Mississippi 364 343 -5.8 27
Missouri 434 484 11.5 21
Montana 41 53 29.3 43
Nebraska 28 43 53.6 45
Nevada 1,560 1,794 15.0 5
New Hampshire NA NA NA NA
New Jersey 627 692 10.4 17
New Mexico 799 923 15.5 15
New York 1,111 1,243 11.9 8
North Carolina 1,389 1,493 7.5 6
North Dakota NA NA NA NA
Ohio 1,040 1,155 11.1 10
Oklahoma 175 215 22.9 36
Oregon 353 461 30.6 23
Pennsylvania 383 429 12.0 25
Rhode Island 102 113 10.8 39
South Carolina 475 446 -6.1 24
South Dakota 45 61 35.6 42
Tennessee 181 250 38.1 34
Texas 6,256 8,085 29.2 2
Utah 821 964 17.4 14
Vermont 77 82 6.5 40
Virginia 1,160 1,228 5.9 9
Washington 151 175 15.9 37
West Virginia 39 40 2.6 46
Wisconsin 445 602 35.3 20
Wyoming 47 62 31.9 41
United States 40,912 47,147 15.2

States with the highest percentage of electricity from solar energy

Solar energy is one component of a state’s total electricity generation. Other common sources include coal, natural gas, nuclear energy, and wind power. A state does not need to generate a large amount of electricity nationally for solar to represent a significant share of its electricity mix.

Based on the EIA’s May 2026 electricity data, solar energy accounted for approximately 12.9% of total U.S. electricity generation. California had the highest statewide solar share at 51.1%, followed by Massachusetts at 48.2% and Nevada at 43.8%. The following table ranks the states with the highest percentage of electricity generated from solar energy.

These percentages compare total solar generation, including estimated small-scale solar, with total utility-scale electricity generation plus estimated small-scale solar generation.

Top 10 states by solar share of electricity generation

State Solar generation May 2026 (thousand MWh) Total electricity generation May 2026 (thousand MWh) Solar share of total generation (%)
California 9,841 19,256 51.1
Massachusetts 751 1,558 48.2
Nevada 1,794 4,098 43.8
Vermont 82 243 33.7
Utah 964 2,928 32.9
Hawaii 257 929 27.7
Arizona 2,599 9,712 26.8
Maine 338 1,286 26.3
Colorado 975 4,426 22.0
New Mexico 923 4,596 20.1

Top 10 states for solar energy generation

State Solar generation May 2026 (thousand MWh) Share of U.S. solar generation (%)
California 9,841 20.9
Texas 8,085 17.1
Florida 3,306 7.0
Arizona 2,599 5.5
Nevada 1,794 3.8
North Carolina 1,493 3.2
Illinois 1,373 2.9
New York 1,243 2.6
Virginia 1,228 2.6
Ohio 1,155 2.4

Year-over-year solar energy generation by state

State May 2025 solar generation (thousand MWh) May 2026 solar generation (thousand MWh) Yearly percentage change
Alabama NA NA NA
Alaska NA NA NA
Arizona 2,152 2,599 20.8
Arkansas 480 637 32.7
California 9,439 9,841 4.3
Colorado 748 975 30.3
Connecticut 243 308 26.7
Delaware 41 50 22.0
Florida 2,985 3,306 10.8
Georgia 1,172 1,144 -2.4
Hawaii 245 257 4.9
Idaho 226 289 27.9
Illinois 910 1,373 50.9
Indiana 750 1,108 47.7
Iowa 204 232 13.7
Kansas 73 116 58.9
Kentucky 162 276 70.4
Louisiana 270 308 14.1
Maine 291 338 16.2
Maryland 303 423 39.6
Massachusetts 672 751 11.8
Michigan 333 633 90.1
Minnesota 394 469 19.0
Mississippi 266 343 28.9
Missouri 224 484 116.1
Montana 60 53 -11.7
Nebraska 25 43 72.0
Nevada 1,667 1,794 7.6
New Hampshire NA NA NA
New Jersey 570 692 21.4
New Mexico 675 923 36.7
New York 1,047 1,243 18.7
North Carolina 1,354 1,493 10.3
North Dakota NA NA NA
Ohio 856 1,155 34.9
Oklahoma 98 215 119.4
Oregon 384 461 20.1
Pennsylvania 333 429 28.8
Rhode Island 105 113 7.6
South Carolina 383 446 16.4
South Dakota 51 61 19.6
Tennessee 109 250 129.4
Texas 6,057 8,085 33.5
Utah 675 964 42.8
Vermont 49 82 67.3
Virginia 996 1,228 23.3
Washington 161 175 8.7
West Virginia 35 40 14.3
Wisconsin 511 602 17.8
Wyoming 57 62 8.8
United States 39,051 47,147 20.7

Questions about our solar generation data?

Journalists and researchers looking for historical solar generation data, methodology details, or additional context can contact the Choose Energy team.

 

Solar energy generation FAQs

How is solar energy measured?

Solar electricity generation is measured in megawatt-hours (MWh). The tables on this page report generation in thousand MWh. One thousand MWh equals 1,000 MWh, or 1 million kilowatt-hours (kWh). Learn more about how the EIA measures electricity.

Why is solar becoming more popular?

Solar energy has become more popular as photovoltaic system costs have declined, technology has improved, and policies such as tax credits and net metering have encouraged adoption. The EIA explains that these factors have helped expand photovoltaic use in the United States.

How do solar panels work?

Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity that we use to power our homes. To do this, the panel modules capture energy from the sun and turn it into direct current (DC) energy. Solar arrays have an inverter, which converts the DC energy into alternating current (AC) energy — the type of electricity that powers your home. If you keep your solar panel system connected to the power grid, you can also pull electricity from the grid when your system isn’t producing energy.