As solar advances in states like California and Texas, several states lag far behind, raising questions about missed opportunities for energy independence and environmental benefits.
March 27, 2024 John Fitzgerald Weaver
We often spotlight nations that are leaders in solar deployment, praising their significant contributions to renewable energy infrastructure. Nevertheless, there are states that are lagging behind in the solar race, potentially being sidetracked by other priorities or constrained by limited solar resources. In some cases, the slow pace can be traced to a combination of directly competing emission-free energy products, policy, economic, geographic and political challenges.
An analysis based on data from the US Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows a different kind of competition, as detailed by the PV Intel 50 States of Solar data visualization tool in US pv magazine: states vying for the dubious distinction of “least”. entrepreneur in solar installations’. Untangling who is lagging behind in solar adoption and why leads to more complex discussions.
The five states producing the lowest percentage of electricity generation from solar in 2023 were North Dakota, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Alaska and South Dakota.
In fact, the bottom 14 states on the list get less than 1% of their electricity from solar.
The disparity in solar generation across states can often be attributed to several factors, including but not limited to:
State and local policies related to renewable energy
Price of electricity Public awareness and education about the benefits of solar energy Geographical and climatic conditions affecting solar potential Availability of alternative emission-free electricity from wind, hydro and nuclear power
Several Midwestern states rich in wind power have good excuses for less solar gain. For example, North Dakota, number one on our list, generates 38% of its electricity from wind, as does third-place Oklahoma. Despite ranking fourth from the bottom for solar adoption, South Dakota has the third cleanest electricity in the nation, with nearly 70% of its electricity coming from carbon-free sources, primarily wind power.
Of the bottom five, that beats out West Virginia and Alaska.
Given Alaska’s geographic location, the lag in solar power is understandable. As the northernmost state in the United States, parts of Alaska are located in the Arctic Circle, so the state experiences long periods of darkness during the winter months.
This leaves West Virginia as the remaining state in the bottom five solar states, which is not surprising for several reasons. The state has been a significant part of the nation’s coal-fired power generation infrastructure for more than a century and remains one of the largest producers and users of coal today. In addition, the state’s political landscape is heavily influenced by the coal industry, with Governor Jim Justice owning coal mines and nationally known Senator Joe Manchin’s family fortune tied to coal.
However, there is hope for West Virginia, with hundreds of megawatts of solar power coming to the state and a new long-term battery plant under construction.
This content is copyrighted and may not be reused. If you would like to collaborate with us and reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected].