From July 2025 through June 2026, more than half of electricity consumed in the United States came from fossil fuels—about 56%—while low-carbon sources supplied about 44%. Gas accounted for roughly 39% of electricity and coal for 16%. Nuclear was the largest clean electricity source at 17%, followed by wind at 10%, solar at 9%, hydropower at 6%, and biofuels at 1%. Solar included about 7% from utility-scale installations and 2% from behind-the-meter systems, such as rooftop panels. Expanding clean electricity would help reduce the climate-changing emissions and air pollution associated with fossil fuels.
Is Electricity Growing in United States?
The latest 2026 figures show a mixed picture: total electricity consumption per person remains below its historical peak, but low-carbon electricity generation per person has reached a new record. Consumption was about 13,400 kWh per person, roughly 1,200 kWh—or 8%—below the 2005 record of about 14,600 kWh. These figures do not establish whether total national electricity consumption is growing, because they measure consumption per person and compare it with a historical record rather than the previous year. Meanwhile, low-carbon generation reached about 5,900 kWh per person, surpassing the 2025 record by about 220 kWh, or 4%. That clean electricity growth is encouraging, and further expansion is needed to support electrification and growing AI-related demand.
Suggestions
The United States should expand its established nuclear and wind generation while accelerating solar deployment. Relevant examples already exist within the country: nuclear supplies about half of electricity in the US states of South Carolina and Illinois, while wind supplies well over half in the US state of Iowa and almost half in Kansas. France, where nuclear generates about two-thirds of electricity, offers another example of a large nuclear contribution. For solar, the US states of Nevada and California generate about 35% and 31% of their electricity from this source, respectively. Learning from these regions through investment in nuclear capacity, wind and solar installations, and supporting transmission infrastructure would help the United States increase its clean electricity supply.
* 12M = Last 12 months (Jul 2025 – Jun 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.
History
Historically, US low-carbon electricity growth has included major nuclear gains alongside substantial year-to-year hydropower fluctuations. Nuclear generation increased by roughly 60 TWh in both 1975 and 1977, followed by gains of about 59 TWh in 1985, 76 TWh in 1988, and 50 TWh in 1990. Hydropower fell sharply in 1977 and 1987 but rebounded in 1978 and 1989, with another substantial increase in 1982. In the 1990s, hydropower added about 54 TWh in 1995, while nuclear's disappointing 49 TWh decline in 1997 was followed by strong gains of 48 TWh in 1998 and 58 TWh in 1999. Hydropower again experienced large declines and rebounds in 2001–2002 and 2011–2012. Nuclear's roughly 54 TWh drop in 2020 was a concerning setback for clean electricity supply, underscoring the importance of sustaining and expanding nuclear generation. Wind's increase of about 56 TWh in 2022 demonstrated another substantial route to low-carbon electricity growth.
* 12M = Last 12 months (Jul 2025 – Jun 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.
Electricity Imports and Exports
Balance of Trade
* 12M = Last 12 months (Jul 2025 – Jun 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.
Regions in United States
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