According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), wind and solar exceeded 10% of the total US power generation in March 2017 on a monthly basis (8% for wind and 2% for solar). On an annual basis, in 2016, wind and solar accounted for 7% of total US power generation.
This high wind generation follows seasonal patterns, as wind parks in Texas, Oklahoma and nearby states often benefit from high winds in spring months (California is more windy in summer months). Where solar is concerned, solar generation is obviously higher in the summer months, even if nearly half of utility-scale solar parks in the United States use sun-trackers to improve their seasonal power generation. The share of solar and wind in the US power mix is also planned to exceed 10% in April 2017, before declining to less than 10% in the summer months.
In 2016, Iowa had the highest share of wind and solar in its power mix with 37% (mainly wind), followed by Kansas (30%, from wind), Oklahoma (25%, wind), North Dakota (21%, wind) and California (20%, wind and solar).
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