From July 2025 through June 2026, about 40% of Tennessee’s electricity consumption was supplied by locally generated low-carbon electricity, while fossil generation supplied about 29% and net imports accounted for the remaining 31%. Nuclear was the largest local source, supplying almost a third of electricity consumption. Hydropower contributed about 6%, and solar supplied roughly 1.6%, almost entirely from utility-scale installations. Among fossil sources, coal supplied about 15% and gas about 14%. Imports are reported separately: without information about their generation mix, they cannot be classified as either clean or fossil electricity.

Is Electricity Growing in Tennessee?

Electricity consumption per person is growing, although modestly. The latest 2026 figure reached 16,160 kWh per person, exceeding the previous record of about 16,000 kWh in 2025 by 164 kWh, or roughly 1%. Low-carbon generation per person, however, has not yet regained its historical peak: the latest figure of 6,461 kWh remains about 104 kWh, or 1.6%, below the 2023 record of 6,565 kWh. The new consumption record is encouraging, but the shortfall in clean electricity generation deserves attention. Tennessee needs faster low-carbon electricity growth to support electrification and rising demand from activities such as AI.

Suggestions

Tennessee can build on its strong nuclear foundation by expanding existing nuclear capacity where feasible and developing additional nuclear generation, alongside a substantial expansion of solar. The nearby US state of South Carolina generates about 52% of its electricity from nuclear, while the US state of Illinois reaches about 49%; France, at roughly 67%, provides another example of a large nuclear contribution. For solar, Tennessee could learn from the US state of Texas, where solar supplies about 12% of generation, and the US state of California, where it supplies almost a third. Wind can also complement these clean sources where local conditions are suitable: the US state of Iowa generates about 57% of its electricity from wind, and the US state of Oklahoma about 45%. These regions demonstrate how nuclear, solar, and wind can supply much larger shares of electricity, helping displace fossil generation and its associated climate and air-pollution impacts.

History

The supplied history covers 2024 through 2026 and shows substantial fluctuations followed by a strong nuclear rebound. Nuclear generation decreased by 5.8 TWh in 2024 and another 2.9 TWh in 2025, before increasing by 8.2 TWh in 2026—recovering nearly all of those reductions. Hydropower increased by 0.9 TWh in 2024, then decreased by 0.5 TWh in 2025 and 0.6 TWh in 2026. Biofuel generation showed no change in any of these years, and wind showed no change in the reported 2024 entry. The 2026 nuclear increase is especially welcome: sustained growth in clean electricity, rather than fluctuations that leave output below earlier records, should be Tennessee’s 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.