Gideon Weissman
Former Policy Analyst, Frontier Group
Which States Added the Most Wind and Solar Energy Over the Last Decade?
Clean, renewable energy, once novel, is now a core part of America’s energy infrastructure. America produces 43 times more solar power than it did in 2007, now producing enough to power more than 5 million average American homes. And America produces seven times as much wind power as it did in 2007, now producing enough to power 21 million homes. The 10 states that have led the nation in adding wind and solar energy since 2007 are listed here.
Over the last decade, clean energy has swept across the country. In July, Frontier Group released Renewables on the Rise, which tracked the growth of five key clean energy technologies – solar energy, wind power, energy efficiency, electric vehicles, and energy storage – over the last decade.
Clean, renewable energy, once novel, is now a core part of America’s energy infrastructure. America produces 43 times more solar power than it did in 2007, now producing enough to power more than 5 million average American homes. And America produces seven times as much wind power as it did in 2007, now producing enough to power 21 million homes.
The 10 states that have led the nation in adding wind and solar energy since 2007 are listed below. For full rankings, and more information about the rise of clean energy, download the full report.
Top States for Solar Energy Increase 2007 – 2016 (GWh)
| State | 2007 Solar Generation | 2016 Solar Generation | Increase in Solar Generation, 2007 – 2016 | Rank |
| California | 1,062 | 27,432 | 26,370 | 1 |
| Arizona | 17 | 5,408 | 5,391 | 2 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 4,016 | 4,015 | 3 |
| Nevada | 65 | 2,918 | 2,853 | 4 |
| New Jersey | 73 | 2,746 | 2,673 | 5 |
| Massachusetts | 6 | 1,949 | 1,943 | 6 |
| Texas | 5 | 1,108 | 1,103 | 7 |
| Georgia | – | 1,076 | 1,076 | 8 |
| New York | 16 | 1,067 | 1,051 | 9 |
| Utah | 0.3 | 1,023 | 1,023 | 10 |
Top States for Wind Energy Increase 2007 – 2016 (GWh)
| State | 2007 Wind Generation | 2016 Wind Generation | Increase in Wind Generation, 2007 – 2016 | Rank |
| Texas | 9,006 | 57,551 | 48,544 | 1 |
| Oklahoma | 1,849 | 19,913 | 18,064 | 2 |
| Iowa | 2,757 | 20,049 | 17,293 | 3 |
| Kansas | 1,153 | 14,113 | 12,961 | 4 |
| Illinois | 664 | 10,627 | 9,963 | 5 |
| Colorado | 1,292 | 9,425 | 8,134 | 6 |
| California | 5,585 | 13,698 | 8,113 | 7 |
| Minnesota | 2,639 | 10,637 | 7,998 | 8 |
| North Dakota | 621 | 8,080 | 7,459 | 9 |
| Oregon | 1,247 | 7,163 | 5,916 | 10 |
Photo credit: NREL
Authors
Gideon Weissman
Former Policy Analyst, Frontier Group