From July 2025 through June 2026, Washington, D.C. relied on net electricity imports for about 95% of its electricity consumption. Locally generated low-carbon electricity accounted for roughly 4.5%, with solar contributing about 4%, including around 3.5% from behind-the-meter solar installations, such as rooftop panels. Solar therefore supplied most of the district’s local clean electricity. Local fossil-fuel generation accounted for the small remaining share, around 0.4%. Importantly, the data do not identify the sources of imported electricity, so those imports cannot be classified as entirely low-carbon or fossil-based.

Is Electricity Growing in Washington, D.C.?

Electricity consumption in Washington, D.C. is not currently growing on a per-person basis: the latest 2026 figure was about 16,275 kWh per person, slightly below the 2025 record of 16,340 kWh. That decline of 65 kWh per person amounts to roughly 0.4%, indicating near-stagnation rather than expansion. Local low-carbon electricity generation, however, reached a new high of 728 kWh per person, up from the previous record of 614 kWh in 2025—a welcome increase of about 19%. Continued clean electricity growth is important for meeting future demand from electrification and AI; population figures would be needed to determine whether total district-wide consumption grew.

Suggestions

Washington, D.C. can build on its solar progress by expanding rooftop panels on homes, public buildings and commercial properties, alongside solar canopies and community solar projects. The US states of California and Nevada demonstrate solar’s potential, generating about 31% and 35% of their electricity from it, respectively. Nearby nuclear generation offers particularly relevant lessons: the US states of Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania generate about 22%, 17% and 31% of their electricity from nuclear power. D.C. should support regional nuclear expansion and secure long-term supplies of nuclear electricity while considering opportunities for new nuclear projects with regional partners. Wind procurement can complement these efforts, drawing lessons from the US state of Iowa and Denmark, where wind supplies about 57% of electricity generation. Together, local solar and regional nuclear and wind development can expand clean electricity supply and reduce reliance on fossil fuels that contribute to climate change and air pollution.

History

The supplied historical data cover only biofuel electricity generation from 2024 through 2026. Across all three years, the reported year-to-year change was zero TWh, indicating no recorded growth or decline at the stated precision. This shows a flat contribution from that low-carbon source over the period, but does not establish its absolute generation level or describe the history of solar and other clean electricity sources. The recent rise in overall local low-carbon generation is encouraging, and sustaining that momentum through solar and nuclear development 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.