Solar energy generation by state
JasonDoiy/iStock/Getty images
California once again takes first place among the top states generating electricity from solar power this month. The Golden State produced 23.5% of the United States’ total of 32,027 thousand megawatt-hours, according to ChooseEnergy.com’s January 2026 solar energy generation report. The report analyzes the most recent solar energy data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Following is a breakdown of the rest of the states (all shown in thousand megawatt-hours) using the EIA’s most recent data from October 2025:
Solar energy production in the United States
In the United States, the proportion of electricity generated from solar energy saw a 12.1% decrease from September to October. Nationwide, solar energy production experienced a 20.6% increase between October 2024 and October 2025.
The following table ranks the best and worst states for solar energy production (shown in thousand megawatt-hours) in September and October, number 1 represents the best state for solar energy production. The table also highlights the solar energy generation percentage change from month to month. Alabama, Alaska, New Hampshire, and North Dakota did not report solar energy production in October 2025.
Solar power production by state
| State | Solar power production September 2025 | Solar power production October 2025 | Monthly percentage (%) change | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Alaska | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Arizona | 1,928 | 1,755 | -9.0 | 4 |
| Arkansas | 520 | 372 | -28.5 | 18 |
| California | 8,241 | 7,541 | -8.5 | 1 |
| Colorado | 726 | 669 | -7.9 | 11 |
| Connecticut | 245 | 203 | -17.1 | 31 |
| Delaware | 35 | 32 | -8.6 | 43 |
| Florida | 2,548 | 2,438 | -4.3 | 3 |
| Georgia | 1,120 | 874 | -22.0 | 7 |
| Hawaii | 237 | 214 | -9.7 | 29 |
| Idaho | 191 | 137 | -28.3 | 34 |
| Illinois | 865 | 648 | -25.1 | 13 |
| Indiana | 812 | 669 | -17.6 | 12 |
| Iowa | 168 | 126 | -25.0 | 35 |
| Kansas | 72 | 59 | -18.1 | 39 |
| Kentucky | 234 | 206 | -12.0 | 30 |
| Louisiana | 267 | 253 | -5.2 | 25 |
| Maine | 275 | 218 | -20.7 | 28 |
| Maryland | 276 | 255 | -7.6 | 24 |
| Massachusetts | 622 | 508 | -18.3 | 16 |
| Michigan | 316 | 240 | -24.1 | 26 |
| Minnesota | 352 | 298 | -15.3 | 21 |
| Mississippi | 275 | 235 | -14.5 | 27 |
| Missouri | 255 | 197 | -22.7 | 32 |
| Montana | 47 | 39 | -17.0 | 40 |
| Nebraska | 30 | 24 | -20.0 | 46 |
| Nevada | 1,392 | 1,261 | -9.4 | 5 |
| New Hampshire | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| New Jersey | 563 | 486 | -13.7 | 17 |
| New Mexico | 627 | 582 | -7.2 | 14 |
| New York | 973 | 797 | -18.1 | 8 |
| North Carolina | 1,186 | 1,074 | -9.4 | 6 |
| North Dakota | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Ohio | 908 | 693 | -23.7 | 10 |
| Oklahoma | 86 | 75 | -12.8 | 38 |
| Oregon | 333 | 256 | -23.1 | 23 |
| Pennsylvania | 329 | 289 | -12.2 | 22 |
| Rhode Island | 99 | 84 | -15.2 | 37 |
| South Carolina | 356 | 312 | -12.4 | 20 |
| South Dakota | 40 | 31 | -22.5 | 44 |
| Tennessee | 160 | 140 | -12.5 | 33 |
| Texas | 6,354 | 5,693 | -10.4 | 2 |
| Utah | 632 | 556 | -12.0 | 15 |
| Vermont | 48 | 38 | -20.8 | 42 |
| Virginia | 829 | 790 | -4.7 | 9 |
| Washington | 137 | 92 | -32.8 | 36 |
| West Virginia | 31 | 28 | -9.7 | 45 |
| Wisconsin | 424 | 324 | -23.6 | 19 |
| Wyoming | 49 | 39 | -20.4 | 41 |
| United States | 36,422 | 32,027 | -12.1 |
States with the highest percentage of power from solar energy
Solar energy is just one component of a state’s monthly total electricity generation. States produce power from a variety of sources, including solar energy. Other common energy sources include coal, natural gas, nuclear, and wind power. Some states may not generate as much electricity as others, but they do produce a higher percentage of solar energy than other power sources.
Nationally, solar energy accounted for about 9.3% of the electricity produced in October. California is the top state in this list, with about 46.9% of its electricity coming from solar generation, Nevada is second on the list with 35.2% of its electricity coming from solar energy. Following are the states that produced the highest percentage of their power from solar energy:
Top 10 states generating electricity from solar energy
| State | Solar power production October 2025 | Total electricity production by state (MWh) | Percentage (%) of electricity generated from solar |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 7,541 | 16,079 | 46.9 |
| Nevada | 1,261 | 3,579 | 35.2 |
| Massachusetts | 508 | 1,964 | 25.9 |
| Hawaii | 214 | 846 | 25.3 |
| Vermont | 38 | 151 | 25.2 |
| Maine | 218 | 1,114 | 19.6 |
| Arizona | 1,755 | 9,401 | 18.7 |
| Utah | 556 | 3,044 | 18.3 |
| New Mexico | 582 | 3,371 | 17.3 |
| Colorado | 669 | 4,272 | 15.7 |
Get your free solar savings estimate
You can significantly lower your energy costs by investing in solar panels. Enter some basic information below and we’ll provide an instant, free estimate of solar cost and savings for your home.
Top 10 states for solar power production the United States
| State | Solar power production October 2025 | Percentage of national solar power production |
|---|---|---|
| California | 7,541 | 23.5 |
| Texas | 5,693 | 17.8 |
| Florida | 2,438 | 7.6 |
| Arizona | 1,755 | 5.5 |
| Nevada | 1,261 | 3.9 |
| North Carolina | 1,074 | 3.4 |
| Georgia | 874 | 2.7 |
| New York | 797 | 2.5 |
| Virginia | 790 | 2.5 |
| Ohio | 693 | 2.2 |
How has solar energy production changed since last year?
| State | Solar power production October 2024 | Solar power production October 2025 | Yearly percentage (%) change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | NA | NA | NA |
| Alaska | 1 | NA | NA |
| Arizona | 1,384 | 1,755 | 26.8 |
| Arkansas | 372 | 372 | 0.0 |
| California | 6,422 | 7,541 | 17.4 |
| Colorado | 544 | 669 | 23.0 |
| Connecticut | 162 | 203 | 25.3 |
| Delaware | 31 | 32 | 3.2 |
| Florida | 1,801 | 2,438 | 35.4 |
| Georgia | 910 | 874 | -4.0 |
| Hawaii | 192 | 214 | 11.5 |
| Idaho | 106 | 137 | 29.2 |
| Illinois | 518 | 648 | 25.1 |
| Indiana | 360 | 669 | 85.8 |
| Iowa | 98 | 126 | 28.6 |
| Kansas | 23 | 59 | 156.5 |
| Kentucky | 61 | 206 | 237.7 |
| Louisiana | 184 | 253 | 37.5 |
| Maine | 168 | 218 | 29.8 |
| Maryland | 214 | 255 | 19.2 |
| Massachusetts | 493 | 508 | 3.0 |
| Michigan | 197 | 240 | 21.8 |
| Minnesota | 218 | 298 | 36.7 |
| Mississippi | 204 | 235 | 15.2 |
| Missouri | 79 | 197 | 149.4 |
| Montana | 36 | 39 | 8.3 |
| Nebraska | 24 | 24 | 0.0 |
| Nevada | 1,229 | 1,261 | 2.6 |
| New Hampshire | 26 | NA | NA |
| New Jersey | 420 | 486 | 15.7 |
| New Mexico | 469 | 582 | 24.1 |
| New York | 639 | 797 | 24.7 |
| North Carolina | 1,131 | 1,074 | -5.0 |
| North Dakota | NA | NA | NA |
| Ohio | 458 | 693 | 51.3 |
| Oklahoma | 54 | 75 | 38.9 |
| Oregon | 194 | 256 | 32.0 |
| Pennsylvania | 181 | 289 | 59.7 |
| Rhode Island | 75 | 84 | 12.0 |
| South Carolina | 298 | 312 | 4.7 |
| South Dakota | 31 | 31 | 0.0 |
| Tennessee | 113 | 140 | 23.9 |
| Texas | 4,559 | 5,693 | 24.9 |
| Utah | 509 | 556 | 9.2 |
| Vermont | 37 | 38 | 2.7 |
| Virginia | 748 | 790 | 5.6 |
| Washington | 77 | 92 | 19.5 |
| West Virginia | 26 | 28 | 7.7 |
| Wisconsin | 297 | 324 | 9.1 |
| Wyoming | 42 | 39 | -7.1 |
| United States | 26,564 | 32,027 | 20.6 |
Need more information?
Are you a journalist or researcher writing about this topic who needs to know more about historical rates? Send us details about what you need and we’ll get back to you with an answer and a relevant quote from one of our rate experts.
Solar generation FAQ
How is solar energy measured?
Solar energy production is measured in megawatt-hours. One megawatt-hour equals 1,000 kilowatt-hours, which are used to measure residential energy use on electricity bills.
Why is solar becoming more popular?
The cost of residential solar panels has fallen by 40% in the last decade, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. Decreasing prices combined with federal and state incentives have led to an increase in the popularity of home solar panels. Federal, state, and local governments have also set varying renewable energy goals, encouraging power plants to invest in sources like solar energy.
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.