Where Michigan Gets Its Electricity
Net generation by source · 12-month average, July 2025 – June 2026.
Generation mix
| Source | Share | Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 45.3% | 56,672 GWh |
| Coal | 18.8% | 23,548 GWh |
| Nuclear | 21.1% | 26,394 GWh |
| Wind | 7.9% | 9,851 GWh |
| Solar | 3.1% | 3,841 GWh |
| Hydro | 1.2% | 1,542 GWh |
| Other | 2.6% | 3,218 GWh |
125.1 TWh generated over the 12 months to June 2026. Shares are of net generation within Michigan, 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. Michigan generated 454 GWh that way. Counting it on both sides of the ratio takes solar from 3.1% to 3.4%.
How the mix has shifted since 2001
| Source | 2001 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 11.8% | 41.5% | +29.8 pts |
| Coal | 61.0% | 22.9% | −38.1 pts |
| Nuclear | 23.9% | 21.5% | −2.4 pts |
| Wind | 0.0% | 7.9% | +7.9 pts |
| Solar | 0.0% | 2.2% | +2.2 pts |
| Hydro | 1.4% | 1.0% | −0.4 pts |
| Other | 1.9% | 2.9% | +1.0 pts |
Compared with the U.S. and nearby states
Michigan's generation mix in context
Natural gas supplied 45% of Michigan's electricity generation in the twelve months from June 2025 to May 2026, making it the largest source. Nuclear provided 21.1%, making it the second-largest contributor. Together, carbon-free sources including nuclear and renewables accounted for 34.6% of generation. The renewable share, which comprises wind, solar, hydro, and other sources like geothermal and biomass, reached 13.5%. Utility-scale solar alone made up 2.8% of generation, or 3.2% when small-scale rooftop solar is included.
Michigan's renewable share ranks 35th among the 51 states and DC with generation data, and its solar share ranks 34th. The state generates less renewable electricity than the national mix, which reached 24.9%, a gap of 11.4 percentage points. Michigan also generates a higher share of coal and natural gas than the nation does, at 19.4% and 45% respectively, compared to national shares of 15.8% and 40.8%. Of the three bordering states with reported generation, Indiana and Wisconsin both generate higher renewable shares, while Ohio generates a lower one.
The generation mix has shifted substantially since 2001. Natural gas grew from 11.8% to 41.5% in 2025, while coal fell from 61% to 22.9% in 2025. Wind generation rose from zero to 7.9% in 2025, and solar emerged from nothing to reach 2.2% in 2025. The overall renewable share grew from 3.5% in 2001 to 12.7% in 2025. Nuclear's contribution declined slightly from 23.9% to 21.5% in 2025.
Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through May 2026.
Frequently asked questions
›What percentage of Michigan's electricity comes from renewable energy?
›What percentage of Michigan's power comes from solar?
›Where does Michigan get most of its electricity?
›Does Michigan still burn coal for electricity?
›Is Michigan 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.