Where Maryland Gets Its Electricity
Net generation by source · 12-month average, September 2025 – August 2026.
Generation mix
| Source | Share | Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 41.1% | 16,321 GWh |
| Coal | 7.6% | 3,005 GWh |
| Nuclear | 37.6% | 14,935 GWh |
| Wind | 1.9% | 763 GWh |
| Solar | 4.9% | 1,946 GWh |
| Hydro | 3.4% | 1,367 GWh |
| Other | 3.4% | 1,334 GWh |
39.7 TWh generated over the 12 months to August 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 1,928 GWh that way. Counting it on both sides of the ratio takes solar from 4.9% to 9.3%.
How the mix has shifted since 2001
| Source | 2001 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 3.6% | 42.5% | +38.9 pts |
| Coal | 57.8% | 6.1% | −51.8 pts |
| Nuclear | 27.8% | 39.3% | +11.4 pts |
| Wind | 0.0% | 1.8% | +1.8 pts |
| Solar | 0.0% | 3.5% | +3.5 pts |
| Hydro | 2.4% | 4.2% | +1.8 pts |
| Other | 8.3% | 2.6% | −5.7 pts |
Compared with the U.S. and nearby states
| Where | Renewable | Carbon-free | Largest source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 11.0% | 48.7% | Natural gas 41.1% |
| U.S. average | 25.4% | 43.0% | Natural gas 40.9% |
| District of Columbia | 50.1% | 50.1% | Other |
| Virginia | 13.9% | 40.7% | Natural gas |
| West Virginia | 5.9% | 5.9% | Coal |
| Delaware | 5.1% | 5.1% | Natural gas |
| Pennsylvania | 3.9% | 34.9% | Natural gas |
Maryland's generation mix in context
Natural gas supplied 41.1% of Maryland's electricity generation in the trailing twelve months from September 2025 to August 2026, making it the largest source. Nuclear power provided 37.6%, the second-largest share. Together, carbon-free sources accounted for 48.7% of generation, with renewables at 11%. Solar made up 4.9% of utility-scale generation, or 9.3% when rooftop solar is included. Hydroelectric power contributed 3.4%, wind 1.9%, and other sources 3.4%.
Maryland's renewable share of 11% ranks 40th of the 50 states and DC, placing it 14.4 percentage points below the national average of 25.4%. Its solar share ranks 24th of the 50 states and DC. Among bordering states, District of Columbia and Virginia have higher renewable shares, while West Virginia, Delaware, and Pennsylvania have lower ones.
The generation mix has shifted substantially since 2001. Coal, which dominated at 57.8% in 2001, fell to 6.1% in 2025. Natural gas rose from 3.6% to 42.5% over the same span. Nuclear increased from 27.8% to 39.3%. Renewable generation grew from 3.2% in 2001 to 10.3% in 2025, driven by solar expanding from nothing to 3.5% and wind reaching 1.8%.
Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through August 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 August 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.