Generation mix describes the portfolio of fuel sources that produce electricity in a given state or region. The US national mix includes natural gas (~40%), coal (~16%), nuclear (~19%), wind (~11%), solar (~5%), and hydroelectric (~6%). Each state's mix varies dramatically based on available resources, Washington relies heavily on hydropower, Texas on wind and gas, and West Virginia on coal. The generation mix directly affects electricity prices, carbon emissions, and energy security.
Generation Mix
The combination of energy sources (coal, gas, nuclear, renewables) used to produce a state's electricity.
Related Terms
Base Load
The minimum level of electricity demand over a 24-hour period, typically supplied by always-on power plants.
Capacity Factor
The ratio of actual electricity output to maximum possible output over a period, measuring plant efficiency.
Renewable Energy
Electricity generated from naturally replenishing sources: wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, and biomass.
this entity is one of the U.S. state-level electricity rates and generation mix concepts that recurs across this site. The definition above is the technical answer; the paragraphs below add the practical context for how the concept connects to the the EIA Open Data API and State Electricity Profiles data behind every per-entity page on the site.
In the the EIA Open Data API and State Electricity Profiles data, this concept shapes one or more of the fields that drive the per-entity grades and rankings on this site. The methodology page describes which fields feed into which output; this glossary entry documents the underlying term.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2026.