Which state makes the most solar power?
🔎 Skip to the answer (ranking table)Guess
Which states make the most solar power in a year? Tap them most-to-least.
Tapping assigns 1→4 in order
I bet… California — all that sunshine!
Answer
The real order is…
California takes #1 — but here's the shock: oil-and-gas Texas is right behind at #2, and the 'Sunshine State' Florida is only #3!
📚 Background Sunny California is #1 in solar — but here's the shock: oil-and-gas Texas is right behind at #2, with California making only about 1.2× as much. Texas has so much open, sunny land that it's becoming a solar giant too — the same state that already makes the most wind power. Florida, the 'Sunshine State', is only #3. (U.S. EIA, electricity data) (opens in a new tab)
🔍 Explore more: ⚡『The oil state that quietly went green』→ I bet… California — all that sunshine!
Compare
Solar power generated (billion kWh, by state, 2024)
Highest: California (48.4 billion kWh); lowest shown here: Idaho (1 billion kWh).
Note: net electricity from solar panels and solar plants, in billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) — 2024, U.S. EIA. Only the states that generate a meaningful amount of solar power are shown.
Geography is destiny!
Recap
🏅 Today's discovery
🏅 California is the USA's #1!
🐕 States in Numbers
Quiz a friend!
📋 See the ranking table (top 30)
| Rank | State | Value |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | 48.4 billion kWh |
| #2 | Texas | 40.6 billion kWh |
| #3 | Florida | 18.6 billion kWh |
| #4 | Nevada | 12.5 billion kWh |
| #5 | North Carolina | 11.8 billion kWh |
| #6 | Arizona | 10.8 billion kWh |
| #7 | Georgia | 9.2 billion kWh |
| #8 | Virginia | 7 billion kWh |
| #9 | Utah | 5.3 billion kWh |
| #10 | Colorado | 4.9 billion kWh |
| #11 | New Mexico | 4.3 billion kWh |
| #12 | Ohio | 4 billion kWh |
| #13 | New York | 3.1 billion kWh |
| #13 | Indiana | 3.1 billion kWh |
| #13 | Illinois | 3.1 billion kWh |
| #16 | South Carolina | 2.9 billion kWh |
| #16 | Wisconsin | 2.9 billion kWh |
| #18 | Arkansas | 2.3 billion kWh |
| #18 | Minnesota | 2.3 billion kWh |
| #20 | Massachusetts | 2.1 billion kWh |
| #21 | Oregon | 2 billion kWh |
| #22 | Michigan | 1.9 billion kWh |
| #23 | Mississippi | 1.7 billion kWh |
| #24 | New Jersey | 1.6 billion kWh |
| #25 | Alabama | 1.3 billion kWh |
| #26 | Louisiana | 1.2 billion kWh |
| #27 | Tennessee | 1.1 billion kWh |
| #27 | Pennsylvania | 1.1 billion kWh |
| #29 | Maryland | 1 billion kWh |
| #29 | Idaho | 1 billion kWh |
Only the states that generate a meaningful amount of solar power are shown.
Figures are published for 49 states; this table shows the top 30.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (2024)
Sources
Data as of: 2024
U.S. EIA: net generation from solar by state, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (2026-07-24) — Official published values (the committed raw file holds EIA's megawatt-hour value for every generating state; the display converts to billion kWh).
↳ On eia.gov/electricity/data/state, open 'Annual generation by state and energy source', filter YEAR 2024, TYPE OF PRODUCER 'Total Electric Power Industry', ENERGY SOURCE 'Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic'.