Where Alabama Gets Its Electricity
Net generation by source · 12-month average, September 2025 – August 2026.
Generation mix
| Source | Share | Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 45.4% | 65,706 GWh |
| Coal | 14.6% | 21,143 GWh |
| Nuclear | 31.9% | 46,164 GWh |
| Wind | 0.0% | 0 GWh |
| Solar | 1.2% | 1,676 GWh |
| Hydro | 4.8% | 6,944 GWh |
| Other | 2.2% | 3,176 GWh |
144.8 TWh generated over the 12 months to August 2026. Shares are of net generation within Alabama, which is not the same as what the state consumes — power crosses state lines.
How the mix has shifted since 2001
| Source | 2001 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 7.7% | 45.6% | +38.0 pts |
| Coal | 57.6% | 15.3% | −42.3 pts |
| Nuclear | 24.2% | 30.0% | +5.8 pts |
| Wind | 0.0% | 0.0% | — |
| Solar | 0.0% | 0.9% | +0.9 pts |
| Hydro | 6.7% | 5.8% | −0.8 pts |
| Other | 3.8% | 2.3% | −1.5 pts |
Compared with the U.S. and nearby states
| Where | Renewable | Carbon-free | Largest source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 8.1% | 40.0% | Natural gas 45.4% |
| U.S. average | 25.4% | 43.0% | Natural gas 40.9% |
| Tennessee | 13.0% | 58.5% | Nuclear |
| Georgia | 12.4% | 46.8% | Natural gas |
| Florida | 11.3% | 21.5% | Natural gas |
| Mississippi | 6.7% | 19.8% | Natural gas |
Alabama's generation mix in context
Natural gas supplied 45.4% of Alabama's electricity generation in the twelve months from September 2025 to August 2026, making it the largest source. Nuclear power provided 31.9%, while coal contributed 14.6%. Together, carbon-free sources accounted for 40.0% of generation, though this fell below the national carbon-free share of 43.0%.
Renewables made up 8.1% of the state's generation, ranking 43rd of the 50 states and DC. Solar accounted for 1.2% on a utility-scale basis. Most neighbouring states generated a higher renewable share: Tennessee at 13.0%, Georgia at 12.4%, and Florida at 11.3%, while Mississippi's 6.7% was lower.
Since 2001, Alabama's generation mix has undergone a historic shift. Coal fell from 57.6% in 2001 to 15.3% in 2025, a decline of 42.3 percentage points. Natural gas rose sharply over the same period, from 7.7% to 45.6%. Nuclear grew modestly from 24.2% to 30.0%, and solar emerged as a small contributor at 0.9% in 2025. The overall renewable share declined slightly from 10.0% in 2001 to 9.1% in 2025.
Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through August 2026.
Frequently asked questions
›What percentage of Alabama's electricity comes from renewable energy?
›What percentage of Alabama's power comes from solar?
›Where does Alabama get most of its electricity?
›Does Alabama still burn coal for electricity?
›Is Alabama getting greener?
How this is measured
Figures are net generation reported to the U.S. Energy Information Administration for all sectors — utilities, independent power producers, and industrial and commercial plants that generate their own power. Shares are of the 12 months to August 2026, rather than a single month, because generation is strongly seasonal: solar peaks in summer and hydro with the spring melt, so one month says more about the weather than about the grid.
“Other” is the reported total minus the six named sources, so the shares add to exactly 100%. It holds geothermal, biomass, petroleum, other gases, and pumped storage — the last of which consumes more electricity than it returns, and so can be negative. Geothermal and biomass are renewable, which is why the renewable share above is slightly larger than wind, solar and hydro added together.
This is generation, not consumption. Electricity crosses state lines freely, so a state can generate more than it uses or rely on imports for a large part of its supply; neither shows up here.