What States Are Producing the Most Solar Power in the U.S.?
If someone asked you to name the top five states generating the most solar energy in the US, you’d probably name those in the Southwest – the ones that get the strongest and most consistent amount of sunlight – and for the most part, you’d be right. However, there might be one state that could surprise you, and there’s much more that goes into creating solar energy than counting the number of sunny days in the year.
-
California
You guessed it – the top solar-generating state in the country is the Golden State. Spanning over half the shoreline of the West Coast and containing plenty of open land for solar panel farms, California provides a wealth of solar opportunity.
Taking advantage of its consistently sunny weather, California’s lawmakers have put systems in place to soak up every bit of clean energy they can to power homes, farms, and businesses. They also provide excellent tax credits and have recently mandated that every new home (under four stories) built starting January 2020 must install solar panels on its roof.
A combination of natural weather and savvy environmental law puts California at the top of the solar energy game.
-
North Carolina
This state might seem like a less obvious contender in the battle for solar supremacy, but North Carolina holds its own. Its growth on the clean energy front in the past few decades has been extraordinary – increasing by 5,600 MW statewide in the past twelve years.
Additionally, North Carolina leads the nation in the “solar shepherd phenomenon,” which combines solar panel plants and sheep farms. The sheep have plenty of space to graze, and their efforts to limit overgrowth keep the panels exposed to all the sunlight they can get. Now that’s a win-win!
-
Arizona
Another southwestern state, Arizona comes in at #3 on this national list. It has some of the largest solar plants in the world, let alone the country, and its desert climate makes for a nearly constant source of sun.
Despite its natural and infrastructure-based advantages, however, Arizona lags behind the top two states, mostly because its incentive programs were slashed in 2013, making residents and businesses less motivated to install solar without a tax break involved in the deal.
-
Texas
America’s second-largest state takes the number four-spot here, as the western side of Texas has greater solar-generating potential than its eastern half. Obtaining permits and other necessary paperwork to install solar is a pretty easy process in the Lone Star State. And just as in the case of California, Texas has plenty of land to spare for solar plants. That said, because of its large size and less intense environmental laws, its energy levels fall short of that of its neighbors.
-
Florida
Just about any Top 5 list having to do with sunshine wouldn’t be complete without the Sunshine State itself. Though existing low electricity costs lessen installation incentives for Florida residents, the state’s efforts in building solar infrastructure to harness one of its greatest natural resources is increasing every day, and it may jump up a rank or two in the next decade.