South Dakota already gets more than 81% of its electricity from low-carbon sources, a major clean electricity achievement. Over the last 12 months, from September 2025 through August 2026, wind supplied about 58% of electricity, hydropower about 21%, and solar just over 2%. Fossil fuels supplied the remaining 19%, including about 11% from gas and 8% from coal. South Dakota is also a significant net electricity exporter, helping neighboring regions lower their emissions. The next challenge is to electrify transport, heating, and industry, which will require much more clean electricity.

Is Electricity Growing in South Dakota?

Electricity consumption per person is not currently growing: the latest 2026 figure is about 22,880 kWh per person, roughly 490 kWh, or 2%, below the 2025 record of 23,368 kWh. Low-carbon electricity generation per person is essentially unchanged at about 18,585 kWh, just 3 kWh below its 2025 record. Maintaining such a high level of clean generation is valuable, but this stagnation is concerning when electrification and growing demand, including from AI, call for more electricity rather than less.

Suggestions

South Dakota can increase low-carbon electricity generation by expanding wind power, building on its already substantial contribution. More transmission capacity and storage would help deliver that clean electricity to local consumers and neighboring regions. Expanding solar would add another source of low-carbon electricity, while considering nuclear power could broaden the state’s clean electricity supply and support rising demand. Together, these investments could help replace fossil-fueled electricity, reducing climate-changing emissions and air pollution.

History

Recent changes in South Dakota’s low-carbon electricity generation have been dominated by wind. In 2024, wind generation increased by 2.7 TWh and hydropower added 0.3 TWh. Wind continued growing in 2025, adding another 0.7 TWh, while hydropower fell by 0.4 TWh. In 2026, those trends reversed: wind declined by 0.4 TWh, while hydropower recovered by the same amount. Biofuel electricity generation showed no year-to-year change throughout 2024–2026. The strong wind gains earlier in this period demonstrate the potential for expansion, making the latest decline a reason to renew efforts to grow clean electricity generation.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

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