Where Maryland Gets Its Electricity
Net generation by source · 12-month average, June 2025 – May 2026.
Generation mix
| Source | Share | Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 41.0% | 16,023 GWh |
| Coal | 7.5% | 2,917 GWh |
| Nuclear | 38.1% | 14,893 GWh |
| Wind | 1.9% | 739 GWh |
| Solar | 4.1% | 1,613 GWh |
| Hydro | 4.1% | 1,587 GWh |
| Other | 3.3% | 1,278 GWh |
39 TWh generated over the 12 months to May 2026. Shares are of net generation within Maryland, which is not the same as what the state consumes — power crosses state lines.
Counting rooftop solar
EIA reports small-scale solar — mostly rooftop panels on homes and businesses — separately, and leaves it out of the state generation total that the mix above is a share of. Maryland generated 1,824 GWh that way. Counting it on both sides of the ratio takes solar from 4.1% to 8.4%.
How the mix has shifted since 2016
| Source | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 14.6% | 42.5% | +27.9 pts |
| Coal | 37.2% | 6.1% | −31.1 pts |
| Nuclear | 39.7% | 39.3% | −0.4 pts |
| Wind | 1.4% | 1.8% | +0.4 pts |
| Solar | 0.6% | 3.5% | +3.0 pts |
| Hydro | 3.7% | 4.2% | +0.4 pts |
| Other | 2.8% | 2.6% | −0.2 pts |
Compared with the U.S. and nearby states
| Where | Renewable | Carbon-free | Largest source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 10.8% | 49.0% | Natural gas 41.0% |
| U.S. average | 24.9% | 42.6% | Natural gas 40.8% |
| District of Columbia | 53.1% | 53.1% | Other |
| Virginia | 13.7% | 40.4% | Natural gas |
| West Virginia | 5.9% | 5.9% | Coal |
| Delaware | 4.1% | 4.1% | Natural gas |
| Pennsylvania | 3.8% | 34.5% | Natural gas |
Maryland's generation mix in context
Natural gas generated 41% of Maryland's electricity in the twelve months through May 2026, making it the state's largest source. Nuclear power supplied 38.1%, a close second, while coal accounted for just 7.5%. Together, nuclear and carbon-free sources made up 49% of generation. Renewable sources—wind, solar, hydro and other sources like geothermal and biomass—supplied 10.8%, placing Maryland 40th among the 51 states and DC with generation data.
Solar generation, counting utility-scale facilities alone, contributed 4.1% of the state's electricity. When rooftop solar is included in the calculation, that share rises to 8.4%, ranking the state 26th nationally for solar generation. Hydro supplied 4.1%, wind 1.9%, and other sources 3.3%. Maryland's renewable share of 10.8% was 14.1 percentage points below the national average of 24.9%, and its coal share of 7.5% was 8.3 points below the national figure of 15.8%.
Over the decade from 2016 to 2025, Maryland's generation mix underwent a dramatic shift. Natural gas surged from 14.6% in 2016 to 42.5% in 2025, while coal collapsed from 37.2% to 6.1%. Nuclear held steady at roughly 39%, declining just 0.4 percentage points. Solar grew from 0.6% in 2016 to 3.5% in 2025, and renewables overall increased from 7.2% to 10.3%. Among its neighbours, Maryland's renewable share of 10.8% exceeded those of West Virginia, Delaware and Pennsylvania, but fell short of Virginia's 13.7% and the District of Columbia's 53.1%.
Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through May 2026.
Frequently asked questions
›What percentage of Maryland's electricity comes from renewable energy?
›What percentage of Maryland's power comes from solar?
›Where does Maryland get most of its electricity?
›Does Maryland still burn coal for electricity?
›Is Maryland getting greener?
How this is measured
Figures are net generation reported to the U.S. Energy Information Administration for all sectors — utilities, independent power producers, and industrial and commercial plants that generate their own power. Shares are of the 12 months to May 2026, rather than a single month, because generation is strongly seasonal: solar peaks in summer and hydro with the spring melt, so one month says more about the weather than about the grid.
“Other” is the reported total minus the six named sources, so the shares add to exactly 100%. It holds geothermal, biomass, petroleum, other gases, and pumped storage — the last of which consumes more electricity than it returns, and so can be negative. Geothermal and biomass are renewable, which is why the renewable share above is slightly larger than wind, solar and hydro added together.
This is generation, not consumption. Electricity crosses state lines freely, so a state can generate more than it uses or rely on imports for a large part of its supply; neither shows up here.