From July 2025 through June 2026, Colorado’s electricity consumption was supplied almost equally by fossil fuels and low-carbon sources: each accounted for about 45%, while net imports supplied the remaining 11%. Gas provided about 30% and coal about 15%. Within clean electricity, wind led at roughly 27%, followed by solar at 14% and hydropower at 3%. Solar included about 10% from utility-scale installations and 4% from systems behind the meter, such as rooftop panels. The data do not identify the sources of imported electricity, so imports should be treated separately rather than classified as clean or fossil.

Is Electricity Growing in Colorado?

Colorado’s electricity consumption is growing, but only slightly on a per-person basis. The latest 2026 figure reached about 10,762 kWh per person, narrowly exceeding the 2025 record of 10,731 kWh—an increase of roughly 30 kWh, or 0.3%. Low-carbon electricity generation grew much more strongly, reaching about 4,786 kWh per person, up 292 kWh, or around 6.5%, from its previous record in 2025. That clean-electricity growth is encouraging, although near-stagnant overall consumption per person does not establish whether total statewide consumption grew. Further clean generation can support electrification and growing electricity needs, including AI.

Suggestions

Colorado can build on its substantial wind and solar generation while considering nuclear power as another source of low-carbon electricity. Nearby examples offer useful benchmarks: the US states of Kansas and Oklahoma generate about 49% and 45% of their electricity from wind, respectively, showing scope to expand beyond Colorado’s current wind share. For solar, the US states of Nevada and California generate about 35% and 31%, offering relevant examples for further utility-scale and rooftop deployment. Nuclear also deserves consideration: the US state of Arizona generates about a quarter of its electricity from nuclear, while the US state of Illinois generates almost half. Learning from these regions could help Colorado expand a diversified clean electricity supply and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, along with their climate and air-pollution impacts.

History

Across 2024–2026, the reported changes show wind driving most of Colorado’s low-carbon electricity growth, alongside steady hydropower gains. Wind generation increased by 1.5 TWh in 2024, then fell by 0.5 TWh in 2025—a disappointing interruption—before recovering by 0.6 TWh in 2026. Taken together, those changes represent a net wind increase of 1.6 TWh. Hydropower rose each year, adding 0.1 TWh in 2024 and 0.2 TWh in both 2025 and 2026, for a combined gain of 0.5 TWh. Biofuel generation was unchanged throughout these years. Overall, the listed sources made clear progress, with sustained wind expansion offering an important foundation for further clean electricity growth.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

* 12M = Last 12 months (Jul 2025 – Jun 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.