This visualization shows wind and solar energy generation in the four Northwest states from 2000-2020. Note that the 2020 data reflect COVID-19’s impact on energy use and consumption.

In the Northwest, wind energy generation has increased significantly more than solar energy generation since the early 2000s. When filtering for solar energy alone, though, it is possible to see increased production, especially in Idaho and Oregon.

Wind energy is used solely for electricity production, while solar energy is used both to produce electricity for the grid as well as for some onsite residential, commercial, and industrial uses. The Northwest Energy Resources and Uses visualization shows more details on the small percentage of solar energy that is used directly (i.e., not to produce electricity) in end-use sectors.  

Hover your mouse over the visualization to see exact figures and click on each element for more options.

Click on the "reset" button (fourth from the right in the bottom right-hand toolbar) to return to the original view. To learn about interacting with the visualizations, visit Tableau Tips.

Filter by use sector (All, Commercial, Electricity, Industrial, and Residential) by using the dropdown menu in the upper right-hand corner. Note: Filtering for Transportation will not produce a visualization because wind and solar energy are not used directly in the Transportation sector.

For additional comparative analysis of the energy use for each of the four Northwest states, please see here.