In Iowa, between September 2024 and August 2025, more than half of the electricity consumed came from low-carbon sources, with wind power leading significantly at around 60%. Close to none of this clean power came from solar and hydropower, which together make up less than 4%. In contrast, about a third of Iowa's electricity consumption relied on fossil sources, with coal being a substantial contributor at approximately 24% and natural gas at about 12%. This composition highlights a strong reliance on clean energy, which is a positive trend, but also indicates room for expanding other clean sources to further reduce the dependency on fossil fuels.
Data sources used on this page include EIA. More about data sources →
Is Electricity Growing in Iowa?
Despite Iowa's remarkable achievement in clean electricity generation, recent data reveals a slight decline in overall electricity consumption compared to the peak in 2022. The latest figures show an average of 22,718 kWh per person, a decrease of 165 kWh from the 2022 record. A similar downward trend is observed in low-carbon electricity generation, which has decreased by 370 kWh per person from its 2022 peak to reach 14,519 kWh per person. This stagnation is concerning, as it underlines the importance of not only maintaining but also increasing both the total and low-carbon electricity to meet future demands.
Suggestions
To boost low-carbon electricity generation, Iowa is encouraged to continue expanding its existing wind infrastructure, given its proven effectiveness. Additionally, examining successful regions can provide valuable insights. For example, Iowa can consider the solar success observed in Nevada and California or the significant nuclear presence in Illinois and New Hampshire, where nuclear energy makes up just over half of their electricity supply. Expanding into solar and considering investments in nuclear energy would significantly bolster Iowa's sustainability efforts by diversifying its clean energy portfolio and reducing its reliance on fossil fuels.
History
Looking back, Iowa has shown notable growth in its low-carbon electricity sector, primarily driven by wind energy. Since 2008, the steady annual increases reached a peak expansion in 2022 when wind power contributed an additional 8.7 TWh. While some fluctuations have been witnessed, such as in 2023, which saw a 4.3 TWh decline, these are outweighed by the consistent progress in prior years. Unfortunately, Iowa's history with nuclear electricity is less promising, marred by consistent declines, especially in 2012 and 2020. This track record of reductions in nuclear power is concerning, as nuclear represents a stable and scalable clean energy source. Nonetheless, Iowa's continued strides in wind expansion hold promise for future low-carbon growth.
