Over the past 12 months, from September 2024 through August 2025, Washington, D.C.'s electricity consumption has been heavily reliant on imports. Impressively, more than 95% of its electricity demand is met through net imports, reflecting a dependency on external sources. Low-carbon, or clean energy, accounts for a small fraction, standing at just over 3%. Within this cleaner energy mix, solar energy has a presence, contributing close to 3% of the total electricity, while behind-the-meter (BTM) solar slightly trails with nearly 2.6%. These figures highlight a critical opportunity for the District to increase its internal electricity generation capacity, particularly through low-carbon means, to address both energy security and sustainability concerns.

Data sources used on this page include EIA. More about data sources →

Is Electricity Growing in Washington, D.C.?

Evaluating whether electricity consumption is growing in Washington, D.C. reveals a mixed picture. The recent (2025) electricity consumption per person is 16,147 kWh, which is a significant decrease from the highest recorded figure of 19,910 kWh per person back in 2011. This marks a decline of 3,762 kWh per person, illustrating reduced electricity use compared to historical highs. However, a positive development is visible in the realm of low-carbon electricity generation per person. The latest statistics show an increase to 553 kWh from a previous high of 491 kWh in 2024, representing a gain of 63 kWh per person. While overall electricity consumption has decreased, the uptick in low-carbon electricity is a progressive step towards a cleaner energy future.

Suggestions

To boost low-carbon electricity generation in Washington, D.C., the city can draw valuable lessons from other regions. Notably, Nevada generates about a third of its electricity from solar energy, an achievement Washington can emulate given its urban development and available solar technologies. Furthermore, the success of states like California in deriving nearly 29% of their electricity from solar provides a blueprint for expanding solar capacity. Globally, countries like France and Slovakia, where nuclear energy accounts for more than 65% of electricity generation, illustrate the feasibility and benefits of large-scale nuclear power adoption. Thus, Washington, D.C. should consider further investments in solar infrastructure and explore the development of nuclear facilities to reduce its dependency on imported energy and cut down fossil fuel use, which significantly contributes to climate change and air pollution.

History

Tracing the history of low-carbon electricity in Washington, D.C. reveals a story of stagnation, particularly with biofuels, which have consistently produced no change in electricity generation from 2016 through 2025. This static growth underlines a missed opportunity for diversifying the District's clean energy portfolio over the years. Seeing no significant evolution in this sector over nearly a decade signals the pressing need for the region to diversify and expand its clean electricity sources, focusing more on dynamically growing sectors such as solar and nuclear. By advancing these key alternatives, Washington, D.C. can enhance its energy resilience, embrace sustainable growth, and meet the future electricity demands driven by electrification and technological progress, such as AI development.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade