In 2025, fossil fuels supplied almost two-thirds of Alaska’s electricity: gas accounted for about 37%, oil for 15%, and coal for 12%. Low-carbon sources provided almost a third, led by hydropower at roughly 28%, with wind contributing about 2% and other clean sources making up a small remainder. Net imports accounted for around 4%; their carbon intensity is not specified in the data. Alaska therefore remains heavily dependent on fossil electricity, with substantial scope to expand clean generation and reduce climate-changing emissions and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Alaska?

Alaska’s electricity consumption per person has not surpassed its previous peak. In 2025, it stood at about 9,080 kWh per person, roughly 70 kWh—or less than 1%—below the 2023 record. Low-carbon electricity generation, however, reached a new high of about 2,770 kWh per person, exceeding the previous 2023 record by roughly 140 kWh, or 5%. This clean-electricity progress is encouraging, although the shortfall in overall consumption per person deserves attention as electrification and AI create additional electricity demand. These per-person figures alone do not establish whether total statewide electricity consumption grew.

Suggestions

Alaska can build on its hydropower foundation by expanding wind and solar and considering nuclear electricity. Finland provides a particularly relevant northern example, generating about 37% of its electricity from nuclear and 25% from wind. The US state of North Dakota generates about 36% from wind, offering another cold-climate reference. For solar, Alaska can learn from deployment in northern regions such as Estonia, where solar supplies about 14% of electricity, and the US state of Maine, where it supplies 18%, while tailoring projects to local seasonal conditions. Combining these clean sources with stronger grids and storage would help Alaska increase electricity supply and displace fossil generation.

History

The recent history provided shows modest fluctuations rather than sustained expansion in Alaska’s low-carbon electricity generation. Hydropower fell by 0.1 TWh in 2024 and then recovered by 0.1 TWh in 2025, leaving it approximately back at its 2023 level. Wind and biofuel generation recorded no change in either year at the precision shown. The hydropower recovery is welcome, but the lack of recorded growth in the other listed sources highlights the need for a more sustained clean-electricity expansion.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade