Mapped: The Top Renewable Power Source by State or Province

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The Top Renewable Power Source by State or Province

Key Takeaways

  • Solar is the leading renewable power source in 22 U.S. states, compared with 17 for wind and 11 for hydropower.
  • Wind forms a clear regional cluster across the Great Plains, while solar leads in states spanning the West, South, and Northeast.
  • Hydropower dominates Canada, ranking first in nine of its 13 provinces and territories.

Which renewable power source comes out on top where you live?

This visualization maps the largest renewable power source in every U.S. state and Canadian province or territory, revealing distinct regional clusters across North America.

The U.S. data for this visualization comes from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, while Canadian data comes from the Canada Energy Regulator.

Wind Power Sweeps Across the Great Plains

Wind forms one of the clearest regional clusters on the map, leading across a broad stretch of the central United States.

Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Texas all rank wind first. Strong wind resources and large areas of open land have helped support utility-scale development across the Great Plains.

North of the border, wind is also the leading renewable source in Alberta, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

State/Province/Territory Largest Renewable Source
🇺🇸 Alabama Hydropower
🇺🇸 Alaska Hydropower
🇨🇦 Alberta Wind
🇺🇸 Arizona Solar
🇺🇸 Arkansas Solar
🇨🇦 British Columbia Hydropower
🇺🇸 California Solar
🇺🇸 Colorado Wind
🇺🇸 Connecticut Solar
🇺🇸 Delaware Solar
🇺🇸 Florida Solar
🇺🇸 Georgia Solar
🇺🇸 Hawaii Solar
🇺🇸 Idaho Hydropower
🇺🇸 Illinois Wind
🇺🇸 Indiana Wind
🇺🇸 Iowa Wind
🇺🇸 Kansas Wind
🇺🇸 Kentucky Hydropower
🇺🇸 Louisiana Solar
🇺🇸 Maine Solar
🇨🇦 Manitoba Hydropower
🇺🇸 Maryland Solar
🇺🇸 Massachusetts Solar
🇺🇸 Michigan Wind
🇺🇸 Minnesota Wind
🇺🇸 Mississippi Solar
🇺🇸 Missouri Wind
🇺🇸 Montana Hydropower
🇺🇸 Nebraska Wind
🇺🇸 Nevada Solar
🇨🇦 New Brunswick Hydropower
🇺🇸 New Hampshire Hydropower
🇺🇸 New Jersey Solar
🇺🇸 New Mexico Wind
🇺🇸 New York Hydropower
🇨🇦 Newfoundland and Labrador Hydropower
🇺🇸 North Carolina Solar
🇺🇸 North Dakota Wind
🇨🇦 Northwest Territories Hydropower
🇨🇦 Nova Scotia Wind
🇨🇦 Nunavut Solar
🇺🇸 Ohio Solar
🇺🇸 Oklahoma Wind
🇨🇦 Ontario Hydropower
🇺🇸 Oregon Hydropower
🇺🇸 Pennsylvania Wind
🇨🇦 Prince Edward Island Wind
🇨🇦 Quebec Hydropower
🇺🇸 Rhode Island Solar
🇨🇦 Saskatchewan Hydropower
🇺🇸 South Carolina Solar
🇺🇸 South Dakota Wind
🇺🇸 Tennessee Hydropower
🇺🇸 Texas Wind
🇺🇸 Utah Solar
🇺🇸 Vermont Hydropower
🇺🇸 Virginia Solar
🇺🇸 Washington Hydropower
🇺🇸 West Virginia Wind
🇺🇸 Wisconsin Solar
🇺🇸 Wyoming Wind
🇨🇦 Yukon Hydropower

In 2025, wind generated more electricity than either solar or hydropower in the United States.

Solar Leads Across the South and Beyond

Solar has the broadest reach across the U.S. map, leading from California and Nevada in the West to Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas in the Southeast.

It also ranks first in several Northeastern states, including Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

Across all 63 jurisdictions, solar leads in 23, while wind and hydropower each lead in 20. However, the regional breakdown reveals a clear divide, with solar leading most often in the U.S. and hydropower dominating Canada.

Top Renewable Power Source 🇺🇸 U.S.
(States)
🇨🇦 Canada
(Provinces/Territories)
Total
Solar 22 1 23
Wind 17 3 20
Hydropower 11 9 20

Hydropower Leads in the Pacific Northwest

Hydropower is the largest renewable source in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska, giving it a strong presence across the northwestern U.S.

The pattern becomes even more pronounced north of the border. Hydropower ranks first in nine of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories, including Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Canada’s extensive river systems and large elevation changes have supported major hydroelectric projects for decades.

Nunavut stands apart as the only Canadian jurisdiction in the dataset where solar is the largest renewable source.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out this graphic showing how the world now spends $1.83 on clean energy for every $1 invested in fossil fuels.

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