Where Montana Gets Its Electricity
Net generation by source · 12-month average, June 2025 – May 2026.
Generation mix
| Source | Share | Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 4.2% | 1,218 GWh |
| Coal | 31.1% | 8,994 GWh |
| Nuclear | 0.0% | 0 GWh |
| Wind | 22.8% | 6,604 GWh |
| Solar | 1.1% | 313 GWh |
| Hydro | 38.2% | 11,052 GWh |
| Other | 2.6% | 746 GWh |
28.9 TWh generated over the 12 months to May 2026. Shares are of net generation within Montana, 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. Montana generated 165 GWh that way. Counting it on both sides of the ratio takes solar from 1.1% to 1.6%.
How the mix has shifted since 2016
| Source | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1.7% | 4.6% | +2.9 pts |
| Coal | 51.4% | 35.2% | −16.2 pts |
| Nuclear | 0.0% | 0.0% | — |
| Wind | 7.7% | 21.9% | +14.2 pts |
| Solar | 0.0% | 1.2% | +1.2 pts |
| Hydro | 36.3% | 34.3% | −1.9 pts |
| Other | 2.9% | 2.7% | −0.2 pts |
Compared with the U.S. and nearby states
| Where | Renewable | Carbon-free | Largest source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | 62.2% | 62.2% | Hydro 38.2% |
| U.S. average | 24.9% | 42.6% | Natural gas 40.8% |
| South Dakota | 81.7% | 81.7% | Wind |
| Idaho | 74.3% | 74.3% | Hydro |
| North Dakota | 41.1% | 41.1% | Coal |
| Wyoming | 34.2% | 34.2% | Coal |
Montana's generation mix in context
Hydroelectric generation supplied 38.2% of Montana's electricity since June 2025, the largest share of any source. Renewables accounted for 62.2% of generation, matching the carbon-free share and ranking the state sixth among the 51 states and DC with generation data. Solar represented 1.1% of generation on a utility-scale basis, or 1.6% when rooftop solar is counted; the state ranked 43rd for solar share.
Over the decade since 2016, Montana's generation mix shifted dramatically toward renewables, which grew from 44.1% in 2016 to 57.6% in 2025. Wind generation expanded by 14.2 percentage points to 21.9%, becoming the second-largest source, while coal fell from 51.4% to 35.2%. Hydroelectric generation edged down 2.0 percentage points. Gas generation rose 2.9 percentage points to 4.6%.
Montana generated far more from renewables than the nation, which drew 24.9% from renewable sources. The national generation mix relies on natural gas for 40.8%, more than ten times Montana's share, and on coal for 15.8%, less than half the state's proportion. Of the four bordering states, two—South Dakota and Idaho—generate higher renewable shares, while North Dakota and Wyoming generate lower ones.
Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through May 2026.
Frequently asked questions
›What percentage of Montana's electricity comes from renewable energy?
›What percentage of Montana's power comes from solar?
›Where does Montana get most of its electricity?
›Does Montana still burn coal for electricity?
›Is Montana 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.