From July 2025 through June 2026, low-carbon sources supplied about 44% of New York’s electricity consumption, slightly more than fossil fuels at 41%. Nuclear supplied around 17% and hydropower 15%, followed by solar at almost 7% and wind at 4%. Solar’s contribution was split roughly equally between utility-scale installations and behind-the-meter systems, such as rooftop panels. Gas dominated fossil electricity, supplying about 40% of consumption, while oil contributed roughly 2%. Net imports accounted for another 14%; the figures provided do not identify how much of that imported electricity was low-carbon.

Is Electricity Growing in New York?

New York’s electricity consumption is growing, but only marginally. The latest 2026 figure reached about 8,270 kWh per person, just above the previous record of 8,248 kWh in 2025—a gain of roughly 0.3%. Low-carbon electricity generation, however, fell to about 3,643 kWh per person, around 42 kWh below its 2025 record, a decrease of approximately 1%. This divergence is concerning: New York needs stronger growth in clean electricity to support electrification and emerging demand, including AI, while reducing reliance on fossil fuels and their associated air pollution and climate impacts.

Suggestions

New York should expand its existing nuclear generation through capacity upgrades and consider additional nuclear capacity, while accelerating solar and wind deployment. Nearby examples offer useful lessons: nuclear supplies about 52% of electricity generation in the US state of New Hampshire, 36% in Connecticut and 33% in New Jersey, compared with New York’s roughly 17% contribution to consumption. France, where nuclear supplies about two-thirds of generation, also demonstrates its potential as a foundation for clean electricity. For solar and wind, the US state of Maine is particularly relevant geographically: each source supplies about 18% of its generation. New York can study these regions’ approaches to project delivery, grid connections and clean-electricity investment, adapting them to local conditions.

History

Across 2024–2026, New York’s low-carbon electricity history shows uneven progress rather than sustained expansion. Wind generation increased by 1.2 TWh in 2024 and another 0.9 TWh in 2025 before falling by 0.3 TWh in 2026. Hydropower declined throughout the period, with reductions totaling about 3.1 TWh. Nuclear generation gained 1.3 TWh in 2025, but declines of 0.5 TWh in 2024 and 0.8 TWh in 2026 canceled that improvement. Losing that clean nuclear output is a serious setback for electricity decarbonization and underlines the importance of maintaining and expanding production. Biofuel generation was unchanged in 2024 and declined slightly in the following two years. Overall, the priority should be turning intermittent gains into sustained growth in low-carbon electricity.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

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