Where Massachusetts Gets Its Electricity
Net generation by source · 12-month average, July 2025 – June 2026.
Generation mix
| Source | Share | Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 72.6% | 15,949 GWh |
| Coal | 0.0% | 0 GWh |
| Nuclear | 0.0% | 0 GWh |
| Wind | 2.9% | 647 GWh |
| Solar | 11.8% | 2,595 GWh |
| Hydro | 3.5% | 777 GWh |
| Other | 9.1% | 1,993 GWh |
22 TWh generated over the 12 months to June 2026. Shares are of net generation within Massachusetts, 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. Massachusetts generated 4,416 GWh that way. Counting it on both sides of the ratio takes solar from 11.8% to 26.6%.
How the mix has shifted since 2001
| Source | 2001 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 30.4% | 77.3% | +46.9 pts |
| Coal | 28.7% | 0.0% | −28.7 pts |
| Nuclear | 13.4% | 0.0% | −13.4 pts |
| Wind | 0.0% | 0.9% | +0.9 pts |
| Solar | 0.0% | 11.0% | +11.0 pts |
| Hydro | 1.8% | 3.6% | +1.8 pts |
| Other | 25.7% | 7.3% | −18.4 pts |
Compared with the U.S. and nearby states
| Where | Renewable | Carbon-free | Largest source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 22.3% | 22.3% | Natural gas 72.6% |
| U.S. average | 25.2% | 42.9% | Natural gas 40.7% |
| Vermont | 98.5% | 98.5% | Hydro |
| New York | 29.1% | 49.7% | Natural gas |
| New Hampshire | 13.5% | 66.4% | Nuclear |
| Rhode Island | 11.6% | 11.6% | Natural gas |
| Connecticut | 3.8% | 41.0% | Natural gas |
Massachusetts's generation mix in context
Natural gas accounts for 73.7% of the electricity generated in Massachusetts since June 2025, more than four times the national share of 40.8%. The state generates 22.7 TWh annually. Renewable sources supply 21.2% of generation, placing Massachusetts 25th among the 51 states and DC with generation data. This renewable share is 3.7 percentage points below the national average of 24.9%.
Solar is the leading renewable source in the state. Utility-scale solar alone accounts for 11.4% of generation, making Massachusetts 7th nationally in solar share. When rooftop solar is included in the total, the solar share rises to 25.6%. Hydroelectric generation contributes 3.5%, and wind 2.4%. The remaining 8.9% comes from other sources, which include geothermal and biomass alongside other fuels.
The generation mix has shifted dramatically since 2001. Natural gas increased from 30.4% in 2001 to 77.3% in 2025, while coal and nuclear have withdrawn entirely—coal fell from 28.7% to 0%, and nuclear from 13.4% to 0%. Solar grew from nothing to 11.0% in 2025, and renewables overall rose from 5.2% to 19.3%. Among bordering states, Massachusetts has a higher renewable share than three of its five neighbours: it exceeds Rhode Island's 11.5% and Connecticut's 3.7%, but trails both New York at 29.0% and Vermont at 98.5%, where hydro dominates.
Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through May 2026.
Frequently asked questions
›What percentage of Massachusetts's electricity comes from renewable energy?
›What percentage of Massachusetts's power comes from solar?
›Where does Massachusetts get most of its electricity?
›Does Massachusetts still burn coal for electricity?
›Is Massachusetts 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 June 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.