From July 2025 through June 2026, Maryland relied on net electricity imports for about 39% of its electricity consumption. In-state low-carbon generation supplied roughly 31%, slightly more than the 29% supplied by fossil fuels. Nuclear was the largest clean electricity source, accounting for about 22% of consumption, followed by solar at just over 5%, hydropower at 2%, and wind at 1%. Solar’s contribution was split almost evenly between behind-the-meter installations, such as rooftop panels, and utility-scale facilities. Among fossil sources, gas supplied about 24%, coal 4%, and oil 1%. The imports’ generation mix is not specified, so they cannot be classified as entirely clean or fossil-based.

Is Electricity Growing in Maryland?

Electricity consumption in Maryland is growing, although modestly. The latest 2026 figure reached 10,736 kWh per person, exceeding the previous record of 10,665 kWh in 2025 by 71 kWh, or about 0.7%. Low-carbon electricity generation grew faster, reaching 3,342 kWh per person—94 kWh above its 2025 record of 3,248 kWh, an increase of almost 3%. These new records are encouraging, particularly the stronger growth in clean generation. Accelerating that progress would help Maryland meet additional electricity demand from electrification and AI while reducing reliance on fossil-fuel generation and its climate and air-pollution impacts.

Suggestions

Maryland should expand output from its existing nuclear facilities where feasible and consider additional nuclear capacity, building on its largest source of low-carbon electricity. Nearby examples offer useful benchmarks: nuclear supplies about a third of electricity generation in the US state of New Jersey and roughly half in the US state of South Carolina; France demonstrates an even larger contribution, at about two-thirds. Maryland should also accelerate both rooftop and utility-scale solar deployment. The US state of Maine generates 18% of its electricity from solar, while the Netherlands reaches 19%, showing that substantial solar contributions are possible beyond especially sunny regions. Wind can complement these investments: the US state of Illinois generates 13% of its electricity from wind alongside 49% from nuclear, illustrating how multiple clean electricity sources can grow together.

History

The supplied history covers 2024 through 2026 and shows small gains alongside setbacks in Maryland’s low-carbon electricity generation. Nuclear output fell by 0.3 TWh in 2024, then recovered by 0.1 TWh in each of 2025 and 2026, leaving it slightly below its 2023 level despite the welcome recovery. Wind delivered steady progress, adding 0.1 TWh in each of the three years. Hydropower was unchanged in 2024 before falling by 0.3 TWh in 2025 and another 0.2 TWh in 2026, while biofuels generation remained unchanged throughout. Overall, these listed sources recorded a net decline, underscoring the importance of sustained expansion in nuclear, solar, and other clean electricity generation rather than settling for modest gains.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

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