From July 2025 through June 2026, low-carbon sources supplied about 41% of New Jersey’s electricity consumption, compared with about 36% from fossil fuels. Nuclear was the largest clean electricity source, supplying almost a third of consumption, while solar supplied about 7%—roughly 5% from behind-the-meter systems and 2.5% from utility-scale facilities. Gas accounted for almost all the fossil electricity share, at about 35%. Net imports supplied another 23%; the data do not identify how much of that imported electricity was low-carbon or fossil-based.

Is Electricity Growing in New Jersey?

Electricity consumption is growing on a per-person basis. The latest 2026 figure reached about 8,970 kWh per person, exceeding the previous record of about 8,810 kWh in 2025 by 152 kWh, or roughly 1.7%. Low-carbon electricity generation also reached a new record of 3,650 kWh per person, up 62 kWh from the 2025 record of 3,588 kWh—also about 1.7%. These are encouraging gains, although sustained growth in clean electricity generation will be important to meet demand from electrification and AI.

Suggestions

New Jersey should expand its existing nuclear generation where feasible and accelerate both rooftop and utility-scale solar deployment. Relevant nuclear examples include the US states of New Hampshire and South Carolina, where nuclear supplies about 52% of electricity generation, and Illinois, where it supplies almost half. France demonstrates an even larger nuclear contribution, at about two-thirds. For solar, the US state of Maine offers a northeastern example at 18%, while California generates almost a third of its electricity from solar. New Jersey can also learn from wind development in coastal regions such as the United Kingdom and Denmark, where wind provides about 30% and 57% of electricity generation, respectively. Together, nuclear, solar, and wind can expand clean electricity supply and reduce reliance on fossil fuels that contribute to climate change and air pollution.

History

The supplied historical series covers only 2024–2026, rather than New Jersey’s longer electricity history. Its clearest recent growth trend is in nuclear generation, which increased by 0.2 TWh in 2025 and another 0.2 TWh in 2026, adding 0.4 TWh across those two years. Wind and biofuels recorded no year-to-year change throughout the supplied period, and hydro generation was unchanged in 2025. The lack of wind growth is disappointing: New Jersey needs broader, sustained increases in low-carbon electricity, with nuclear expansion and faster solar deployment central to that effort.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

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