Where Rhode Island Gets Its Electricity
Net generation by source · 12-month average, September 2025 – August 2026.
Generation mix
| Source | Share | Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 85.8% | 7,877 GWh |
| Coal | 0.0% | 0 GWh |
| Nuclear | 0.0% | 0 GWh |
| Wind | 1.9% | 179 GWh |
| Solar | 8.2% | 751 GWh |
| Hydro | 0.0% | 1 GWh |
| Other | 4.0% | 370 GWh |
9.2 TWh generated over the 12 months to August 2026. Shares are of net generation within Rhode Island, 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. Rhode Island generated 316 GWh that way. Counting it on both sides of the ratio takes solar from 8.2% to 11.2%.
How the mix has shifted since 2001
| Source | 2001 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 97.6% | 87.5% | −10.1 pts |
| Coal | 0.0% | 0.0% | — |
| Nuclear | 0.0% | 0.0% | — |
| Wind | 0.0% | 1.9% | +1.9 pts |
| Solar | 0.0% | 7.9% | +7.9 pts |
| Hydro | 0.0% | 0.0% | — |
| Other | 2.3% | 2.6% | +0.3 pts |
Compared with the U.S. and nearby states
| Where | Renewable | Carbon-free | Largest source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 12.2% | 12.2% | Natural gas 85.8% |
| U.S. average | 25.4% | 43.0% | Natural gas 40.9% |
| Massachusetts | 23.9% | 23.9% | Natural gas |
| Connecticut | 3.7% | 40.9% | Natural gas |
Rhode Island's generation mix in context
Natural gas supplies 85.8% of Rhode Island's electricity generation, dominating the state's mix during the twelve months from September 2025 to August 2026. Renewables account for 12.2% of generation, ranking 38th of the 50 states and DC. Within renewables, solar leads at 8.2% for utility-scale installations alone, or 11.2% when rooftop solar is included; this solar share ranks 17th of the 50 states and DC. Wind contributes 1.9%, while other sources, a category holding geothermal, biomass and other fuels, make up 4%. Hydro and coal have no share in the state's generation.
Rhode Island's generation mix has shifted substantially since 2001. Natural gas declined from 97.6% in 2001 to 87.5% in 2025, while renewables grew from 1.4% in 2001 to 11.8% in 2025. This renewable growth came entirely from solar and wind: solar rose from nothing to 7.9% in 2025, and wind emerged to reach 1.9% in 2025. Other fuels ticked up slightly from 2.3% to 2.6% over the period.
Compared with the nation, Rhode Island relies far more heavily on natural gas at 85.8% against the national 40.9%, and has a much lower renewable share at 12.2% against 25.4%. Massachusetts, which borders Rhode Island, generates 23.9% of its electricity from renewables. Connecticut, which also borders the state, generates only 3.7% from renewables.
Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through August 2026.
Frequently asked questions
›What percentage of Rhode Island's electricity comes from renewable energy?
›What percentage of Rhode Island's power comes from solar?
›Where does Rhode Island get most of its electricity?
›Does Rhode Island still burn coal for electricity?
›Is Rhode Island 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.