From July 2025 through June 2026, Kentucky’s electricity consumption remained heavily dependent on fossil fuels, which supplied about 80% of the total. Coal accounted for more than half, at roughly 56%, and gas supplied nearly a quarter, at about 24%. Low-carbon electricity contributed only about 8%, including hydropower at around 4.5% and solar at nearly 3%; utility-scale solar supplied most of that solar electricity. Net imports accounted for approximately 13%, but the data do not identify their sources, so they cannot be classified as either clean or fossil electricity.

Is Electricity Growing in Kentucky?

Kentucky’s total electricity consumption per person is essentially stagnant, while its low-carbon generation is growing. The latest 2026 consumption figure was about 18,100 kWh per person, down 47 kWh—or roughly 0.3%—from the 2025 record. By contrast, low-carbon electricity generation reached a new high of 1,420 kWh per person, exceeding the previous record of 1,317 kWh in 2025 by 103 kWh, or nearly 8%. That clean-electricity growth is encouraging, but the slight decline in overall consumption underscores the importance of preparing additional clean supply for future electrification and growing AI-related electricity demand.

Suggestions

Kentucky should accelerate solar deployment and consider building nuclear generation, while developing wind projects where local conditions are suitable. Nearby regions offer particularly relevant examples: nuclear supplies nearly half of electricity generation in the US state of Illinois and about a third in the US state of Tennessee. France, where nuclear supplies roughly two-thirds of electricity generation, provides another example of a substantial clean-electricity foundation. For solar, Kentucky can learn from the US state of Nevada, where solar supplies about 35%, and the US state of California, where it supplies almost a third. The US state of Iowa, with wind supplying about 57%, also demonstrates wind’s potential, although Kentucky should base deployment on its own resource assessments. Together, nuclear, solar and suitable wind development could expand low-carbon electricity and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, cutting climate-warming emissions and air pollution.

History

The available history covers only 2024–2026 and shows modest hydropower fluctuations rather than sustained growth. Hydropower generation increased by 0.2 TWh in 2024, then fell by the same amount in 2025 and declined another 0.1 TWh in 2026. Across those three annual changes, that represents a net reduction of 0.1 TWh—a disappointing result when more clean electricity is needed. Biofuel electricity generation showed no reported year-to-year change throughout the period. These records contain no nuclear or solar changes, so they do not establish the historical trajectory of those sources or explain the recent overall increase in low-carbon generation.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

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