Renewable Generation Share
by Utility · 2011–2025

Analysis — Renewable Penetration 2011–2025

Total renewable generation share tripled from 10.5% in 2011 to 31.3% in 2024 across the matched utility universe. Wind drove the first decade — growing from 2.9% to 10.5% nationally. Solar is driving the second decade — from essentially zero to 5.1% in 2024 and 6.6% in 2025, still accelerating. Hydro has been stable at 5–8%, constrained by geography and drought conditions in the West.

The utility-level data reveals profound divergence. Manitowoc Public Utilities grew from 8.8% to 92.2% renewable in 13 years — the largest absolute shift in the dataset. Montana-Dakota Utilities in North Dakota went from 10% to 89% wind-driven generation. These are not edge cases — they reflect utilities that made deliberate resource decisions in favorable wind resource territories and locked in long-term contracts before prices rose.

At the other end, utilities still generating 0% from renewables in 2024 are concentrated in natural gas-dependent territories — Gulf Coast utilities where gas is cheap and abundant, and dense urban utilities like ConEd where geography limits renewable siting. For regulators reviewing IRP filings, the utility-level renewable penetration trajectory is the essential context for evaluating whether a proposed resource plan is consistent with actual industry transition trends.