Electric Consumer

Editor: Katerine G., Editor & Data Researcher · Research & publishing: Electric Consumer Editorial Team · Data retrieved · Sources named on this page: EIA-860/923, EPA eGRID · How we got these numbers · Report an error

Cleanest electric grids by state: CO2 per MWh

43 lbCO2 per MWh generated in Vermont, against 767 lb for the U.S.

Vermont generates power at 43 lb of CO2 per MWh (0.019 kg per kWh). The dirtiest grid, West Virginia, emits 1,954 lb: 45 times as much. The U.S. figure is 767 lb. The measure covers plants inside each state (eGRID 2023); a state that imports power has a different footprint at the socket.

Find your state

Pick a state to see where it ranks.

Cleanest electric grids by state: CO2 per MWh, mapNew Mexico: 770 lbTexas: 768 lbKentucky: 1,735 lbOhio: 1,064 lbGeorgia: 714 lbArkansas: 993 lbOregon: 364 lbPennsylvania: 646 lbMissouri: 1,444 lbNorth Carolina: 624 lbUtah: 1,413 lbVirginia: 537 lbWyoming: 1,820 lbWest Virginia: 1,954 lbNew York: 465 lbIndiana: 1,457 lbKansas: 728 lbIdaho: 313 lbNevada: 642 lbIllinois: 472 lbVermont: 43 lbNew Jersey: 468 lbMinnesota: 748 lbMaryland: 520 lbIowa: 630 lbHawaii: 1,385 lbNew Hampshire: 273 lbRhode Island: 839 lbConnecticut: 538 lbMontana: 1,056 lbArizona: 687 lbNebraska: 1,018 lbWashington: 265 lbSouth Dakota: 334 lbCalifornia: 393 lbAlabama: 711 lbWisconsin: 1,157 lbMississippi: 826 lbColorado: 1,085 lbOklahoma: 647 lbTennessee: 657 lbLouisiana: 761 lbMichigan: 793 lbMassachusetts: 822 lbFlorida: 787 lbAlaska: 810 lbNorth Dakota: 1,288 lbSouth Carolina: 557 lbMaine: 312 lbDelaware: 703 lbDistrict of Columbia: 394 lb
  • 43 lb to 468 lb
  • 468 lb to 647 lb
  • 647 lb to 787 lb
  • 787 lb to 1,085 lb
  • 1,085 lb to 1,954 lb

Vermont 43 lb first, West Virginia 1,954 lb last: the map links to each state.

All 51 ranked places

lb of CO2 per MWh generated inside the state, eGRID 2023

  1. 1Vermont43 lb
  2. 2Washington265 lb
  3. 3New Hampshire273 lb
  4. 4Maine312 lb
  5. 5Idaho313 lb
  6. 6South Dakota334 lb
  7. 7Oregon364 lb
  8. 8California393 lb
  9. 9District of Columbia394 lb
  10. 10New York465 lb
  11. 11New Jersey468 lb
  12. 12Illinois472 lb
  13. 13Maryland520 lb
  14. 14Virginia537 lb
  15. 15Connecticut538 lb
  16. 16South Carolina557 lb
  17. 17North Carolina624 lb
  18. 18Iowa630 lb
  19. 19Nevada642 lb
  20. 20Pennsylvania646 lb
  21. 21Oklahoma647 lb
  22. 22Tennessee657 lb
  23. 23Arizona687 lb
  24. 24Delaware703 lb
  25. 25Alabama711 lb
  26. 26Georgia714 lb
  27. 27Kansas728 lb
  28. 28Minnesota748 lb
  29. 29Louisiana761 lb
  30. 30Texas768 lb
  31. 31New Mexico770 lb
  32. 32Florida787 lb
  33. 33Michigan793 lb
  34. 34Alaska810 lb
  35. 35Massachusetts822 lb
  36. 36Mississippi826 lb
  37. 37Rhode Island839 lb
  38. 38Arkansas993 lb
  39. 39Nebraska1,018 lb
  40. 40Montana1,056 lb
  41. 41Ohio1,064 lb
  42. 42Colorado1,085 lb
  43. 43Wisconsin1,157 lb
  44. 44North Dakota1,288 lb
  45. 45Hawaii1,385 lb
  46. 46Utah1,413 lb
  47. 47Missouri1,444 lb
  48. 48Indiana1,457 lb
  49. 49Kentucky1,735 lb
  50. 50Wyoming1,820 lb
  51. 51West Virginia1,954 lb

The table, sortable

Cleanest grid (CO2): first 51 of 51
1Vermont430.0190.00.199.8Wind 99.8, +480% vs median; 222 lb ahead of Washington; Gas share 0.1, -100% vs median
2Washington2650.1203.115.780.8Wind 73.2, +325% vs median; 222 lb apart from Vermont; Gas share 15.7, -56% vs median
3New Hampshire2730.1241.227.869.7Nuclear share 57.1, +566% vs median; 8 lb apart from Washington; Home price 24.56, +60% vs median
4Maine3120.1410.239.157.8Home price 27.78, +81% vs median; 39 lb apart from New Hampshire; Wind 57.8, +236% vs median
5Idaho3130.1420.031.468.5Wind 68.5, +298% vs median; 1 lb apart from Maine; Home price 11.82, -23% vs median
6South Dakota3340.1519.311.279.5Wind 79.5, +362% vs median; 21 lb apart from Idaho; Gas share 11.2, -69% vs median
7Oregon3640.1650.035.664.5Wind 64.5, +274% vs median; 30 lb apart from South Dakota; Coal share 0.0, -100% vs median
8California3930.1780.136.363.9Home price 32.54, +112% vs median; 29 lb apart from Oregon; Wind 55.3, +221% vs median
9District of Columbia3940.1790.056.543.2Coal share 0.0, -100% vs median; 1 lb apart from California; Gas share 56.5, +58% vs median
10New York4650.2110.048.050.3Home price 26.39, +72% vs median; 71 lb apart from District of Columbia; Coal share 0.0, -100% vs median
11New Jersey4680.2120.049.149.3Nuclear share 45.6, +432% vs median; 3 lb apart from New York; Wind 3.6, -79% vs median
12Illinois4720.21416.116.067.7Nuclear share 50.9, +494% vs median; 3 lb apart from New Jersey; Gas share 16.0, -55% vs median
13Maryland5200.2366.142.649.6Nuclear share 39.3, +359% vs median; 48 lb apart from Illinois; Wind 10.2, -41% vs median
14Virginia5370.2433.357.138.5Gas share 57.1, +60% vs median; 17 lb apart from Maryland; Coal share 3.3, -68% vs median
15Connecticut5380.2440.056.541.8Home price 29.38, +91% vs median; 1 lb apart from Virginia; Nuclear share 38.2, +345% vs median
16South Carolina5570.25317.421.760.7Nuclear share 54.4, +534% vs median; 19 lb apart from Connecticut; Wind 6.3, -63% vs median
17North Carolina6240.28313.340.645.867 lb apart from South Carolina; Nuclear share 32.0, +273% vs median
18Iowa6300.28625.612.262.0Wind 62.0, +260% vs median; 6 lb apart from North Carolina; Gas share 12.2, -66% vs median
19Nevada6420.2915.750.644.2Nuclear share 0.0, -100% vs median; 12 lb apart from Iowa; Home price 13.15, -14% vs median
20Pennsylvania6460.2937.058.034.3Wind 3.9, -78% vs median; 3 lb apart from Nevada; Nuclear share 30.4, +255% vs median
21Oklahoma6470.29410.544.245.3Nuclear share 0.0, -100% vs median; 1 lb apart from Pennsylvania; Home price 13.12, -15% vs median
22Tennessee6570.29823.723.652.5Nuclear share 38.6, +350% vs median; 10 lb apart from Oklahoma; Home price 13.18, -14% vs median
23Arizona6870.3117.945.247.229 lb apart from Tennessee; Nuclear share 26.9, +214% vs median
24Delaware7030.3194.686.04.2Gas share 86.0, +141% vs median; 17 lb apart from Arizona; Wind 4.2, -75% vs median
25Alabama7110.32315.245.939.0Nuclear share 29.8, +248% vs median; 8 lb apart from Delaware; Wind 9.1, -47% vs median
26Georgia7140.32413.638.447.83 lb apart from Alabama; Nuclear share 35.0, +308% vs median
27Kansas7280.33031.25.762.9Gas share 5.7, -84% vs median; 14 lb apart from Georgia; Wind 48.0, +179% vs median
28Minnesota7480.33924.119.356.119 lb apart from Kansas; Gas share 19.3, -46% vs median
29Louisiana7610.3455.472.220.0Gas share 72.2, +102% vs median; 14 lb apart from Minnesota; Wind 5.1, -70% vs median
30Texas7680.34811.548.339.97 lb apart from Louisiana; Gas share 48.3, +35% vs median
31New Mexico7700.34920.726.652.9Wind 52.9, +207% vs median; 2 lb apart from Texas; Nuclear share 0.0, -100% vs median
32Florida7870.3573.873.022.0Gas share 73.0, +104% vs median; 16 lb apart from New Mexico; Wind 10.6, -38% vs median
33Michigan7930.36022.742.033.87 lb apart from Florida; Wind 12.5, -27% vs median
34Alaska8100.36710.550.025.8Home price 26.09, +70% vs median; 17 lb apart from Michigan; Nuclear share 0.0, -100% vs median
35Massachusetts8220.3730.077.317.2Home price 30.48, +98% vs median; 13 lb apart from Alaska; Gas share 77.3, +116% vs median
36Mississippi8260.3755.373.621.1Gas share 73.6, +106% vs median; 4 lb apart from Massachusetts; Wind 6.0, -65% vs median
37Rhode Island8390.3810.088.311.1Gas share 88.3, +147% vs median; 13 lb apart from Mississippi; Home price 29.46, +92% vs median
38Arkansas9930.45129.833.936.3154 lb apart from Rhode Island; Home price 12.84, -16% vs median
39Nebraska1,0180.46245.53.950.5Gas share 3.9, -89% vs median; 25 lb apart from Arkansas; Coal share 45.5, +334% vs median
40Montana1,0560.47936.04.956.3Gas share 4.9, -86% vs median; 38 lb apart from Nebraska; Wind 56.3, +227% vs median
41Ohio1,0640.48324.654.219.9Wind 8.1, -53% vs median; 8 lb apart from Montana; Gas share 54.2, +52% vs median
42Colorado1,0850.49224.832.043.221 lb apart from Ohio; Nuclear share 0.0, -100% vs median
43Wisconsin1,1570.52535.235.728.972 lb apart from Colorado; Coal share 35.2, +236% vs median
44North Dakota1,2880.58452.76.540.6Coal share 52.7, +403% vs median; 131 lb apart from Wisconsin; Gas share 6.5, -82% vs median
45Hawaii1,3850.6280.00.021.7Home price 40.59, +164% vs median; 97 lb apart from North Dakota; Gas share 0.0, -100% vs median
46Utah1,4130.64147.230.222.2Coal share 47.2, +350% vs median; 28 lb apart from Hawaii; Nuclear share 0.0, -100% vs median
47Missouri1,4440.65564.412.423.0Coal share 64.4, +515% vs median; 31 lb apart from Utah; Gas share 12.4, -65% vs median
48Indiana1,4570.66146.035.516.2Coal share 46.0, +339% vs median; 13 lb apart from Missouri; Nuclear share 0.0, -100% vs median
49Kentucky1,7350.78765.425.78.7Coal share 65.4, +524% vs median; 278 lb apart from Indiana; Nuclear share 0.0, -100% vs median
50Wyoming1,8200.82657.810.230.8Coal share 57.8, +452% vs median; 85 lb apart from Kentucky; Gas share 10.2, -71% vs median
51West Virginia1,9540.88686.76.26.8Coal share 86.7, +727% vs median; 134 lb apart from Wyoming; Gas share 6.2, -83% vs median

Vermont 43 lb to West Virginia 1,954 lb; 51 rows in the CSV.

CSV

Why the top and the bottom differ

The five cleanest: Vermont, Washington, New Hampshire, Maine, Idaho. The five dirtiest: Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Wyoming, West Virginia. Coal share of generation correlates with CO2 per MWh at r = +0.84 across states, and the five dirtiest average 64% coal against 1% for the five cleanest.

Averages of the first and last 10 states
MeasureFirst 10 (Vermont to New York)Last 10 (Colorado to West Virginia)All 51
CO2, lb per MWh3161,474793
Coal share of generation, %1.448.018.3
Gas share, %30.219.436.4
Nuclear share, %9.52.514.2
Wind, solar, hydro, biomass share, %58.321.728.4
Home price 2025, ¢/kWh20.9817.1217.92

Across the states, cleanest grid (co2) moves most closely with (r, a pattern and not a cause; glossary):

  • coal share of generation: r = +0.84 across 51 states
  • hydro share of generation: r = -0.41 across 51 states
  • wind, solar, hydro and biomass share of generation: r = -0.38 across 51 states
  • nuclear share of generation: r = -0.33 across 51 states

Cleanest grid (CO2): regions and residents

By Census division, New England comes first on cleanest grid (co2) (mean 471 lb) and East North Central last (989 lb). Between New England and East North Central the means are 517 lb apart; Vermont and West Virginia are 1,911 lb apart: most of the spread sits between states, not between regions.

Cleanest grid (CO2) by Census division
Census divisionStatesMean, cleanest grid (co2)Ranked highestRanked lowestMedian rank
New England6471 lbVermont 43 lbRhode Island 839 lb10
Middle Atlantic3526 lbNew York 465 lbPennsylvania 646 lb11
East North Central5989 lbIllinois 472 lbIndiana 1,457 lb41
West North Central7884 lbSouth Dakota 334 lbMissouri 1,444 lb28
South Atlantic9754 lbDistrict of Columbia 394 lbWest Virginia 1,954 lb17
East South Central4982 lbTennessee 657 lbKentucky 1,735 lb30
West South Central4793 lbOklahoma 647 lbArkansas 993 lb30
Mountain8973 lbIdaho 313 lbWyoming 1,820 lb36
Pacific5644 lbWashington 265 lbHawaii 1,385 lb8

One vote per state or one per resident? On cleanest grid (co2) the answers are weighted by residents 712 lb, the plain state mean 793 lb, the median state 714 lb.

Residents by position in the cleanest grid (co2) ranking
GroupResidentsShare of ranked residentsMean of statesMean weighted by residents
First 10: Vermont to New York78 million23%316 lb388 lb
Middle 31: New Jersey to Ohio217 million65%727 lb710 lb
Last 10: Colorado to West Virginia37 million11%1,474 lb1,402 lb

Biggest steps between neighbours in this order:

  • 48th to 49th: Indiana to Kentucky, 278 lb apart
  • 1st to 2nd: Vermont to Washington, 222 lb apart
  • 37th to 38th: Rhode Island to Arkansas, 154 lb apart
  • 50th to 51st: Wyoming to West Virginia, 134 lb apart

Within 10% of leader Vermont (43 lb): 0 other places; within 25%: 0. The tenth place, New York, is 422 lb from the leader and the last, West Virginia, 1,911 lb.

CO2, lb per MWh against Coal share of generation, %

51 dots, one per state; West Virginia is highest on co2, lb per mwh and Vermont lowest. Fit line r = +0.84.

CO2, lb per MWh against Coal share of generation, %, 51 states05001,0001,5002,000020406080100Vermont: 0, 43VTWashington: 3, 265New Hampshire: 1, 273Maine: 0, 312Idaho: 0, 313South Dakota: 9, 334Oregon: 0, 364California: 0, 393District of Columbia: 0, 394New York: 0, 465New Jersey: 0, 468Illinois: 16, 472Maryland: 6, 520Virginia: 3, 537Connecticut: 0, 538South Carolina: 17, 557North Carolina: 13, 624Iowa: 26, 630Nevada: 6, 642Pennsylvania: 7, 646Oklahoma: 10, 647Tennessee: 24, 657Arizona: 8, 687Delaware: 5, 703Alabama: 15, 711Georgia: 14, 714Kansas: 31, 728Minnesota: 24, 748Louisiana: 5, 761Texas: 11, 768New Mexico: 21, 770Florida: 4, 787Michigan: 23, 793Alaska: 10, 810Massachusetts: 0, 822Mississippi: 5, 826Rhode Island: 0, 839Arkansas: 30, 993Nebraska: 45, 1,018Montana: 36, 1,056Ohio: 25, 1,064Colorado: 25, 1,085Wisconsin: 35, 1,157North Dakota: 53, 1,288Hawaii: 0, 1,385Utah: 47, 1,413Missouri: 64, 1,444Indiana: 46, 1,457Kentucky: 65, 1,735Wyoming: 58, 1,820West Virginia: 87, 1,954WVCoal share of generation, %CO2, lb per MWh
51 states: first 8 of 51 rows
StateCoal share of generation, %CO2, lb per MWh
Vermont0.0042.98
Washington3.11265.12
New Hampshire1.25272.85
Maine0.21311.82
Idaho0.00313.29
South Dakota9.27334.03
Oregon0.00364.16
California0.11393.49

West Virginia is highest on the vertical axis (1,954), Vermont lowest (43).

CSV

Try your own numbers

Yearly CO2 from your electricity at the state grid rate.

    Sources

    From EPA eGRID, EIA-923 and 860.

    eGRID reports the annual CO2 total output emission rate: pounds of CO2 per MWh of net generation by plants located in the state. The mix shares come from EIA-923 for 2025, so the two do not cover the same year.

    Periods, retrieval dates and licences: data sources.

    Related to cleanest grid (co2)

    Questions

    Which state has the cleanest electricity?

    Vermont, at 43 lb of CO2 per MWh of generation (EPA eGRID 2023). Next: Washington (265) and New Hampshire (273).

    Which state has the dirtiest grid?

    West Virginia at 1,954 lb per MWh, then Wyoming (1,820) and Kentucky (1,735).

    Does this include imported power?

    No. eGRID reports emissions of power plants inside the state divided by their net generation. A state that buys much of its power from elsewhere has a different consumption footprint.

    How old is the data?

    eGRID 2023 is the latest EPA release (June 2025): it lags the current year by about two years. The generation mix on this page is from EIA-923 for 2025.

    How many states are below the U.S. figure?

    29 of 51 places are below 767 lb per MWh.

    What does my use emit?

    At 878 kWh a month, a home in Vermont accounts for about 0.2 tonnes of CO2 a year at that state's rate, West Virginia about 9.3. The calculator on this page lets you change the numbers.

    Does nuclear count as clean here?

    eGRID counts CO2 emitted. Nuclear and renewables emit none at the plant, so they lower the rate. Life-cycle emissions are not included.

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    43 lb CO2 per MWh generated in Vermont, against 767 lb for the U.S.

    Cite this page

    Underlying data are U.S. government works (EIA, Census Bureau). Our tables and charts: CC BY 4.0, credit Electric Consumer. The access date fills in when you open this page.

    APA

    Electric Consumer. (2026). Cleanest electricity by state: CO2 per MWh of generation. Data as of 2 October 2026. Retrieved [date accessed], from https://electricconsumer.org/rankings/cleanest-electricity-by-state.html

    MLA

    Electric Consumer. “Cleanest electricity by state: CO2 per MWh of generation.” Electric Consumer, data as of 2 October 2026, https://electricconsumer.org/rankings/cleanest-electricity-by-state.html. Accessed [date accessed].

    Chicago

    Electric Consumer. “Cleanest electricity by state: CO2 per MWh of generation.” Data as of 2 October 2026. Accessed [date accessed]. https://electricconsumer.org/rankings/cleanest-electricity-by-state.html.

    BibTeX

    @misc{usedata_rankings_cleanest_electricity_by_state,
  author = "Electric Consumer",
  title = {Cleanest electricity by state: CO2 per MWh of generation},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://electricconsumer.org/rankings/cleanest-electricity-by-state.html},
  note = {Data as of 2 October 2026. Accessed [date accessed]}
}
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