10 States Now Get At Least 20 Percent of Their Electricity from Solar and Wind

Wind turbines near the small farming town of Nevada, Iowa.

Wind turbines near the small farming town of Nevada, Iowa. CAROL WYCOFF/FLICKR

Solar and wind energy now generate more than 20 percent of electricity in 10 states, according to a new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Iowa is at the top of the list, with 37 percent of its electricity coming from wind and solar in 2017, followed by Kansas, Oklahoma, and South Dakota, all above 30 percent, PV Magazine reported.

The top five states for renewable electricity generation, which also includes North Dakota, get nearly all their renewable energy from wind. During some months in 2017, wind accounted for more than 50 percent of in-state electricity generation in Iowa and Kansas. Vermont, number six of the list with 24 percent, is evenly split between wind and solar. California, number seven with 22 percent, gets most of its renewable energy from solar.

Maine, Colorado, and Minnesota also get more than 20 percent of their electricity from renewables, predominately from wind. For comparison, wind and solar accounted for just 8 percent of total electricity generation in the United States in 2017, according to the EIA.

PV Magazine notes several states will likely reach the 20 percent threshold soon, including Hawaii and Texas, which already has robust wind production and is now undergoing a solar boom. And with mandates for 50 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2050, New York and New Jersey are also expected to reach 20 percent mark within five years.

U.S. Energy Information Administration