Where Minnesota Gets Its Electricity
Net generation by source · 12-month average, September 2025 – August 2026.
Generation mix
| Source | Share | Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 20.2% | 11,947 GWh |
| Coal | 21.3% | 12,574 GWh |
| Nuclear | 22.6% | 13,358 GWh |
| Wind | 25.5% | 15,074 GWh |
| Solar | 6.2% | 3,643 GWh |
| Hydro | 1.4% | 801 GWh |
| Other | 2.9% | 1,696 GWh |
59.1 TWh generated over the 12 months to August 2026. Shares are of net generation within Minnesota, 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. Minnesota generated 548 GWh that way. Counting it on both sides of the ratio takes solar from 6.2% to 7.0%.
How the mix has shifted since 2001
| Source | 2001 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2.5% | 20.8% | +18.3 pts |
| Coal | 65.6% | 23.2% | −42.4 pts |
| Nuclear | 24.3% | 21.7% | −2.6 pts |
| Wind | 1.8% | 25.2% | +23.4 pts |
| Solar | 0.0% | 5.2% | +5.2 pts |
| Hydro | 1.7% | 1.2% | −0.5 pts |
| Other | 4.1% | 2.7% | −1.4 pts |
Compared with the U.S. and nearby states
| Where | Renewable | Carbon-free | Largest source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 35.0% | 57.6% | Wind 25.5% |
| U.S. average | 25.4% | 43.0% | Natural gas 40.9% |
| South Dakota | 81.8% | 81.8% | Wind |
| Iowa | 61.4% | 61.4% | Wind |
| North Dakota | 41.0% | 41.0% | Coal |
| Wisconsin | 14.8% | 30.3% | Natural gas |
Minnesota's generation mix in context
Wind is Minnesota's largest electricity source, accounting for 25.5% of generation in the twelve months through August 2026. Nuclear and coal follow closely, at 22.6% and 21.3% respectively, while gas supplies 20.2%. Solar makes up 6.2% of generation when counted as utility-scale alone, or 7% when rooftop solar is included; hydro and other sources account for the remainder.
Minnesota's renewable share stands at 35%, positioning it 17th among the 50 states and DC. Its carbon-free generation, which includes nuclear, reaches 57.6%, well above the national average of 43%. Fossil fuels account for 41.5% of the state's electricity. Solar specifically ranks 22nd nationally at 6.2% utility-scale, or 7% with rooftop included.
The state's generation mix has shifted dramatically since 2001. Renewables grew from 5.8% to 33.6% in 2025, driven almost entirely by wind, which climbed from 1.8% to 25.2% in 2025. Coal collapsed from 65.6% to 23.2% in 2025, while gas rose from 2.5% to 20.8% in 2025. Among Minnesota's four bordering states, three—South Dakota, Iowa, and North Dakota—have higher renewable shares. Wisconsin's renewable share of 14.8% falls well below Minnesota's, and natural gas is Wisconsin's largest source rather than wind.
Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through August 2026.
Frequently asked questions
›What percentage of Minnesota's electricity comes from renewable energy?
›What percentage of Minnesota's power comes from solar?
›Where does Minnesota get most of its electricity?
›Does Minnesota still burn coal for electricity?
›Is Minnesota 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.