From July 2025 through June 2026, fossil fuels supplied more than half of Wisconsin’s electricity consumption—about 58%, comprising roughly 30% gas and 27% coal. Low-carbon sources supplied about 26%, led by nuclear at 13% and solar at 6%, followed by hydropower at 3%, wind at 2%, and biofuels at about 2%. Net imports supplied another 16%; their generation mix is not specified, so they cannot be classified as entirely clean or fossil-based. Wisconsin therefore has a substantial clean electricity foundation, but fossil fuels still dominate its electricity supply, contributing to climate change and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin’s electricity consumption is growing, although only modestly. The latest 2026 figure reached about 13,060 kWh per person, exceeding the previous record of 12,950 kWh in 2025 by 107 kWh, or about 0.8%. Low-carbon electricity generation also set a record, reaching about 3,405 kWh per person—58 kWh above the 2025 record of 3,347 kWh, an increase of roughly 1.7%. These gains are encouraging, especially because clean generation grew faster than consumption, but stronger growth would help meet future electricity demand from electrification and AI.

Suggestions

Wisconsin can increase low-carbon electricity generation by expanding its existing nuclear generation capacity, adding new nuclear capacity, and accelerating solar and wind development. Neighboring Illinois is a particularly relevant example: nuclear supplies 49% of electricity generation in that US state, compared with Wisconsin’s roughly 13% share of consumption. For wind, Wisconsin can learn from nearby US states such as Iowa, where wind supplies 57% of generation, and Minnesota, where it supplies 21%. Solar also has considerable room to grow: the US state of Maine generates 18% of its electricity from solar, while Germany reaches 20%, demonstrating substantial solar contributions beyond the sunniest regions. Together, nuclear, solar, and wind could build a larger clean electricity supply and reduce fossil-fuel dependence.

History

The supplied history shows modest low-carbon electricity gains between 2024 and 2026. In 2024, nuclear generation rose by 0.5 TWh and wind by 0.3 TWh, while hydropower and biofuels each added 0.1 TWh. Growth slowed in 2025: nuclear and wind generation were unchanged, while hydropower and biofuels each increased by another 0.1 TWh. In 2026, hydropower added 0.3 TWh, but nuclear and wind each declined by 0.1 TWh, and biofuels were unchanged. Those small declines and periods of stagnation are disappointing when Wisconsin needs more clean electricity; restoring growth in nuclear and wind, alongside expanding solar, would strengthen its progress.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

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