The Top 30 Local Government Entities That Use the Most Green Energy

The United States is making substantial strides toward becoming more sustainable and shifting toward renewable energy sources. But how much U.S. energy consumption comes from renewable energy sources? In 2020, sources of renewable energy accounted for about 12% of total U.S. energy consumption and 20% of electricity generation. Wind energy accounts for 8.4% of all energy, hydropower accounts for 7.3%, solar energy accounts for 2.3%, biomass energy accounts for 1.4%, and geothermal energy accounts for 0.1%. In making these efforts toward creating a green, planet-forward country, it’s important that government entities lead by example. This SolarPower.guide infographic explores the U.S. government entities that purchase the most renewable energy as well as the renewable energy sources that they use:

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<a href="https://solarpower.guide/solar-energy-insights/infographics/government-entities-green-energy"> <img src="https://solarpower.guide/solar-energy-insights/infographics/government-entities-green-energy.png" alt="The Top 30 Local Government Entities That Use the Most Green Energy - Solar Power Guide - Infographic" title="The Top 30 Local Government Entities That Use the Most Green Energy - SolarPower.Guide - Infographic"></a><br><a href="https://www.SolarPower.Guide" alt="Solar Power Guide" title="SolarPower.Guide">By SolarPower.Guide</a>

Here are the top 20 U.S. entities and governments that purchase the most green energy based on percentage of total energy use:

1. District of Columbia — 120% (578,403,000 kilowatt hours)
2. Forest County Potawatomi Community — 102% (59,722,110 kilowatt hours)
3. City of Dallas, TX — 100% (752,521,456 kilowatt hours)
4. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport — 100% (450,169,000 kilowatt hours)
5. City of Austin, TX — 100% (325,278,315 kilowatt hours)
6. City of Santa Monica, CA — 100% (38,644,707 kilowatt hours)
7. Rockland County, NY — 100% (35,201,479 kilowatt hours)
8. City of Edmond, OK — 100% (31,850,470 kilowatt hours)
9. Franklin County, OH — 100% (25874900 kilowatt hours)
10. Port of Portland — 99% (79,076,189 kilowatt hours)
11. City of Lawrence, KS — 99% (34,600,000 kilowatt hours)
12. City of Alexandria, VA — 95% (38,902,879 kilowatt hours)
13. City of Hillsboro, OR — 93% (23,579,890 kilowatt hours)
14. City of Houston, TX — 90% (1,001,219,178 kilowatt hours)
15. Montgomery County Clean Energy Buyers Group — 85% (467,339,000 kilowatt hours)
16. Chicago Park District — 84% (106,470,000 kilowatt hours)
17. County of Santa Clara, CA — 83% (135,924,160 kilowatt hours)
18. City of Portland, OR — 81% (104,862,439 kilowatt hours)
19. Alameda County, CA — 77% (30,191,313 kilowatt hours)
20. Western Pennsylvania Energy Consortium — 68% (111,231,684 kilowatt hours)

What Renewable Energy Is Used Most in the United States?

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the most used renewable energy in the U.S. is wind power. By the end of 2019, wind generated a little more than 300 million megawatt hours. In fact, 2019 marked the year when U.S. renewable energy consumption surpassed coal for the first time in 130 years! When going green becomes a top priority for the government, renewable energy can and will thrive.

What Is the Government Doing About Green Energy?

Section 203 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 dictates that each fiscal year, the federal government must source 7.5% of its total electricity from renewable energy such as wind power, solar power, and hydropower. There are also many federal renewable energy programs, clean energy programs, and renewable energy incentives to encourage corporations, governments, and individuals to make the transition to renewable energy. The Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency is a great place to start exploring the pathways available for creating a green, clean country now and into the future.