Profile Overview
Quick Facts
- South Dakota is the nation's fifth-largest fuel ethanol producer and accounted for 8% of total U.S. fuel ethanol output in 2023. The state's 16 fuel ethanol plants can produce about 1.5 billion gallons annually.
- In 2024, renewable resources generated 81% of South Dakota's total in-state electricity net generation (including small-scale solar). Wind power provided 59% of South Dakota’s total electricity generation, a larger share than any other state except Iowa.
- Crude oil production in South Dakota has ranged from about 1 million and 2 million barrels per year between 1982 and 2021. In 2024, production fell to 875,000 barrels, the lowest level since before 1981.
- South Dakota uses less total petroleum than all but three other states. However, in part because of the state’s small population, it ranks 12th in the nation in terms of petroleum use per capita.
- Wind power surpassed hydropower's contribution to South Dakota's in-state electricity generation for the first time in 2021. Wind energy generated nearly three times times as much electricity as hydropower in the state in 2024.
Last Updated: September 18, 2025