From July 2025 through June 2026, fossil fuels supplied almost half of North Carolina’s electricity consumption, while low-carbon sources supplied about 40% and net imports accounted for another 11%. Gas was the largest individual source at roughly 36%, followed by nuclear at 27% and coal at 12%. Among other clean sources, solar supplied about 9%, including roughly 8% from utility-scale installations, and hydropower contributed nearly 3%. Nuclear therefore provided most of North Carolina’s low-carbon electricity, with solar making another substantial contribution.

Is Electricity Growing in North Carolina?

Electricity consumption per person is growing, but only slightly: the latest 2026 figure reached 13,890 kWh, just 31 kWh above the previous record set in 2025—an increase of about 0.2%. Clean electricity generation per person, however, moved in the wrong direction, falling to about 5,620 kWh from roughly 5,720 kWh in 2025, a decline of around 100 kWh, or nearly 2%. This near-stagnation in consumption and retreat in low-carbon generation underscore the need for faster clean electricity growth to support electrification and emerging demand, including AI.

Suggestions

North Carolina can increase low-carbon electricity generation by expanding its existing nuclear capacity and accelerating solar deployment. Its neighbor, the US state of South Carolina, demonstrates nuclear’s potential, generating about 52% of its electricity from nuclear, compared with North Carolina’s 27%; France provides another example at roughly 67%. For solar, the US states of Nevada and California generate about 35% and 31%, respectively, showing considerable scope to build beyond North Carolina’s current 9%. Wind could provide an additional clean contribution: the US state of Iowa generates about 57% of its electricity from wind, while the US state of Texas generates 22%. These regions offer useful examples to study, while North Carolina develops projects suited to its own conditions. Expanding nuclear and solar would also help displace fossil-fueled generation and its associated climate and air-pollution impacts.

History

The recent history of North Carolina’s low-carbon electricity shows initial gains followed by a disappointing reversal. In 2024, nuclear generation increased by 1 TWh and hydropower by 0.6 TWh, while biofuels declined by 0.2 TWh and wind was unchanged. Across 2025 and 2026, nuclear generation then fell by a combined 1.2 TWh and hydropower by 0.7 TWh, more than reversing their 2024 gains. Wind added 0.4 TWh in 2025 before remaining flat in 2026, while small changes in biofuels canceled out across those two years. The loss of substantial existing clean electricity output is a worrying setback; restoring growth, particularly through nuclear and solar expansion, should be a priority.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

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