Kansas ranks in bottom 10 of US states for solar energy in recent analysis. Here’s why
With 128 sunny days of the year, Kansas has strong potential for solar energy development and use, but Forbes recently ranked the state in the bottom 10 in the nation for implementation.
The analysis was done by looking at megawatts of solar installed, number of industry jobs, number of homes with solar energy and the percentage of energy in each state that’s powered by solar. Kansas came in at No. 44.
It costs an average $9,881 to install solar energy in Kansas, which is below the national average of about $16,000. The state only has about 15,000 homes with installed solar energy, however, according to Forbes, which brings the total percent of energy in Kansas powered by solar to 0.2%.
In comparison, California ranked No. 1 with 27.3% of energy from solar. Oklahoma ranked just above Kansas, but had the same percentage powered by solar at 0.2%.
Kansas has 971 solar jobs in the state and 110 megawatts of solar energy installed. Neighboring state Colorado ranked No. 9 in the analysis, with more than 2,000 megawatts installed and more than 7,000 solar jobs.
North Dakota is ranked the worst state for solar by Forbes, with 149 homes powered by solar energy and 262 industry jobs. It only has 2 megawatts of solar installed in the state.
States with worst solar energy uptake:
North Dakota
Alaska
West Virginia
South Dakota
Kentucky
States with best solar energy uptake:
California
Nevada
Arizona
Texas
Massachusetts
At No. 1, California has more than 10 million homes powered by solar energy.
While the monthly price of solar energy can be more cost-efficient than traditional energy, initial installation is pricey. If you’re interested in going solar and want to see how much it’ll cost you, you can use this solar energy calculator and input your zip code and energy provider for an estimate.
