Where Massachusetts Gets Its Electricity
Net generation by source · 12-month average, September 2025 – August 2026.
Generation mix
| Source | Share | Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 71.0% | 14,739 GWh |
| Coal | 0.0% | 0 GWh |
| Nuclear | 0.0% | 0 GWh |
| Wind | 4.0% | 835 GWh |
| Solar | 11.9% | 2,481 GWh |
| Hydro | 3.7% | 767 GWh |
| Other | 9.4% | 1,945 GWh |
20.8 TWh generated over the 12 months to August 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 4,479 GWh that way. Counting it on both sides of the ratio takes solar from 11.9% to 27.6%.
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 | 23.9% | 23.9% | Natural gas 71.0% |
| U.S. average | 25.4% | 43.0% | Natural gas 40.9% |
| Vermont | 99.4% | 99.4% | Hydro |
| New York | 29.0% | 49.5% | Natural gas |
| New Hampshire | 12.9% | 65.6% | Nuclear |
| Rhode Island | 12.2% | 12.2% | Natural gas |
| Connecticut | 3.7% | 40.9% | Natural gas |
Massachusetts's generation mix in context
Natural gas supplies 71% of the electricity Massachusetts generates, far exceeding any other source. Renewable sources account for 23.9% of generation, placing the state 23rd among the 50 states and DC. The carbon-free share, which includes renewables and nuclear, also stands at 23.9%. Solar is the largest renewable contributor; utility-scale solar alone represents 11.9% of generation, and including rooftop solar—which the data counts separately—solar reaches 27.6% of the state's total. Wind supplies 4% and hydro 3.7%, while other sources make up 9.4%.
The state's generation mix has shifted substantially since 2001. Natural gas grew from 30.4% in 2001 to 77.3% in 2025, while coal fell from 28.7% to 0% and nuclear from 13.4% to 0%. Solar surged from nothing to 11% in 2025, and hydro rose from 1.8% to 3.6%. The renewable share grew from 5.2% in 2001 to 19.3% in 2025.
Massachusetts relies much more heavily on gas than the nation does: 30.1 percentage points higher than the national average of 40.9%. Its renewable share of 23.9% ranks slightly below the national average of 25.4%, though the state ranks 9th nationally in solar generation. Among its five bordering states, two—Vermont and New York—have higher renewable shares, while New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut have lower ones.
Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through August 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 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.