From July 2025 through June 2026, almost 62% of electricity consumed in the US state of Iowa came from low-carbon sources, while about 38% came from fossil fuels. Wind dominated the clean electricity mix, supplying more than half of all electricity—about 57%. Solar contributed roughly 2.5%, including about 1.8% from utility-scale installations, while hydropower supplied almost 2%. Coal still accounted for approximately 27% of electricity and gas for 11%, leaving considerable scope to replace fossil generation and reduce its climate and air-pollution impacts.

Is Electricity Growing in Iowa?

Electricity consumption per person is growing, although clean electricity generation is barely advancing. The latest 2026 figure reached about 23,400 kWh per person, exceeding the 2025 record of roughly 23,000 by about 350 kWh, or 1.5%. Low-carbon electricity generation also reached a record, at approximately 14,500 kWh per person, but increased by only 34 kWh over its previous record in 2025—around 0.2%. These records are welcome, but the much slower growth in clean generation underscores the need to accelerate low-carbon electricity expansion to support electrification and rising demand from AI.

Suggestions

Iowa can build on its substantial wind generation by expanding existing wind capacity while developing much more solar and considering new nuclear generation. Nearby regions offer useful examples: the US state of Illinois generates almost half its electricity from nuclear, while the US states of Minnesota and Nebraska obtain about 19% and 16%, respectively, from nuclear. These examples show how nuclear could complement Iowa’s wind-led electricity mix. For solar, the US state of Colorado generates about 14% of its electricity from the technology, while Germany reaches 20%, demonstrating that substantial solar contributions are not limited to the sunniest places. Expanding wind alongside solar and nuclear would strengthen Iowa’s clean electricity supply and help meet future demand.

History

Across the reported years, Iowa’s low-carbon electricity history shows a strong wind increase followed by disappointing setbacks. In 2024, wind generation rose by 2.8 TWh and hydropower added 0.1 TWh. Wind then declined by 0.5 TWh in 2025 and another 0.2 TWh in 2026, partially reversing the earlier gain. Hydropower was unchanged in 2025 before increasing by 0.3 TWh in 2026, while low-carbon biofuel generation remained unchanged throughout all three years. Overall, the reported changes leave wind generation above its 2023 level, but the recent declines highlight the importance of renewed investment to restore sustained 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.