A Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) is a state regulation that requires electric utilities to produce or procure a minimum percentage of their electricity from eligible renewable sources by a target date. Currently, 30 states plus DC have mandatory RPS policies. Requirements range from 10% to 100% by various target years. RPS policies have been a primary driver of renewable energy growth in the US, creating guaranteed demand for wind, solar, and other clean energy sources.
Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)
A state policy requiring utilities to source a specified percentage of electricity from renewable sources.
Related Terms
Renewable Energy
Electricity generated from naturally replenishing sources: wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, and biomass.
Net Metering
A billing arrangement where solar panel owners receive credit for excess electricity they send back to the grid.
Generation Mix
The combination of energy sources (coal, gas, nuclear, renewables) used to produce a state's electricity.
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.