From September 2025 through August 2026, fossil fuels supplied about 80% of Kentucky’s electricity consumption: coal accounted for roughly 56% and gas for 24%. Low-carbon electricity supplied just under 9%, including about 5% from hydropower and 3% from solar, mostly utility-scale installations. Net imports supplied another 11%; their electricity sources are not specified here, so they cannot be classified as either clean or fossil-based. Kentucky therefore remains heavily dependent on fossil electricity, with substantial room to expand clean generation and reduce climate-changing emissions and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Kentucky?

Electricity consumption in Kentucky is growing, reaching a new per-person record in the latest 2026 figures. Consumption rose to about 17,900 kWh per person, compared with the previous record of about 17,500 kWh in 2025—an increase of roughly 350 kWh, or 2%. Low-carbon electricity generation also set a record, reaching 1,560 kWh per person, up from 1,454 kWh in 2025. That increase of 106 kWh, or about 7%, is encouraging: clean generation is growing faster than overall consumption, although it still supplies a small share. Sustaining and accelerating that growth would help meet future electricity demand from electrification and AI.

Suggestions

Kentucky should prioritize expanding solar electricity and developing nuclear generation, drawing lessons from nearby regions. The neighboring US states of Illinois and Tennessee generate about 49% and 32% of their electricity from nuclear power, respectively, demonstrating nuclear’s potential to provide a large foundation of low-carbon electricity. For solar, the US state of Virginia is not among the solar examples provided, but the US state of Texas generates 13% of its electricity from solar, while the US state of California reaches 30%. Kentucky can study their approaches to deployment, grid connections and investment while tailoring projects to local conditions. Wind can also contribute where suitable: the neighboring US state of Illinois generates 13% of its electricity from wind. Together, nuclear, solar and well-sited wind could substantially increase Kentucky’s clean electricity supply.

History

Kentucky’s recent low-carbon electricity history shows modest hydropower gains followed by a setback. Hydropower generation increased by 0.2 TWh in 2024 and another 0.3 TWh in 2025, before falling by 0.3 TWh in 2026, reversing the previous year’s gain. Across these three annual changes, hydropower still recorded a net increase of 0.2 TWh. Biofuel electricity generation showed no reported year-to-year change throughout 2024–2026. This limited progress underscores the importance of adding substantial new solar and nuclear generation to build stronger, sustained growth in Kentucky’s low-carbon electricity supply.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

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