Where Idaho Gets Its Electricity
Net generation by source · 12-month average, July 2025 – June 2026.
Generation mix
| Source | Share | Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 25.0% | 5,571 GWh |
| Coal | 0.0% | 0 GWh |
| Nuclear | 0.0% | 0 GWh |
| Wind | 14.1% | 3,141 GWh |
| Solar | 8.0% | 1,791 GWh |
| Hydro | 50.2% | 11,203 GWh |
| Other | 2.7% | 608 GWh |
22.3 TWh generated over the 12 months to June 2026. Shares are of net generation within Idaho, which is not the same as what the state consumes — power crosses state lines.
Counting rooftop solar
EIA reports small-scale solar — mostly rooftop panels on homes and businesses — separately, and leaves it out of the state generation total that the mix above is a share of. Idaho generated 326 GWh that way. Counting it on both sides of the ratio takes solar from 8.0% to 9.3%.
How the mix has shifted since 2001
| Source | 2001 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 15.0% | 27.5% | +12.4 pts |
| Coal | 0.8% | 0.0% | −0.8 pts |
| Nuclear | 0.0% | 0.0% | — |
| Wind | 0.0% | 14.9% | +14.9 pts |
| Solar | 0.0% | 7.8% | +7.8 pts |
| Hydro | 77.3% | 46.8% | −30.5 pts |
| Other | 6.9% | 3.0% | −3.9 pts |
Compared with the U.S. and nearby states
Idaho's generation mix in context
Hydroelectric generation supplied 49.7% of Idaho's electricity since June 2025, making it by far the largest source. Renewable energy accounted for 74.3% of the state's generation, which matched its carbon-free share since Idaho produces no nuclear power. Solar generation comprised 8.0% of the total on a utility-scale basis, or 9.3% when rooftop solar is included. Wind provided 14.1%, while gas made up 25.5% and other sources 2.8%.
Idaho ranked 4th among the 51 states and DC for renewable electricity generation, well above the national renewable share of 24.9%. Gas generation was 15.3 percentage points lower than the national average, and the state generated no coal power compared with the nation's 15.8%. Of Idaho's six bordering states, only Washington had a higher renewable share at 77.1%; the others ranged from Oregon at 68% down to Utah at 22.6%.
The composition of Idaho's generation has shifted significantly since 2001. Hydroelectric fell from 77.3% in 2001 to 46.8% in 2025, while wind grew from nothing to 14.9% and solar emerged to 7.8% in 2025. Gas rose from 15% to 27.5% over the same period. Renewable generation declined 10.8 percentage points from 83% in 2001 to 72.2% in 2025, reflecting the retreat of hydropower relative to other sources.
Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through May 2026.
Frequently asked questions
›What percentage of Idaho's electricity comes from renewable energy?
›What percentage of Idaho's power comes from solar?
›Where does Idaho get most of its electricity?
›Does Idaho still burn coal for electricity?
›Is Idaho 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 June 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.