Where New Jersey Gets Its Electricity
Net generation by source · 12-month average, July 2025 – June 2026.
Generation mix
| Source | Share | Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 48.9% | 30,216 GWh |
| Coal | 0.0% | 0 GWh |
| Nuclear | 45.4% | 28,075 GWh |
| Wind | 0.0% | 20 GWh |
| Solar | 3.4% | 2,098 GWh |
| Hydro | 0.0% | 0 GWh |
| Other | 2.3% | 1,416 GWh |
61.8 TWh generated over the 12 months to June 2026. Shares are of net generation within New Jersey, 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. New Jersey generated 4,163 GWh that way. Counting it on both sides of the ratio takes solar from 3.4% to 9.5%.
How the mix has shifted since 2001
| Source | 2001 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 28.1% | 48.6% | +20.5 pts |
| Coal | 15.7% | 0.0% | −15.7 pts |
| Nuclear | 51.3% | 45.9% | −5.4 pts |
| Wind | 0.0% | 0.0% | — |
| Solar | 0.0% | 3.3% | +3.3 pts |
| Hydro | 0.0% | 0.0% | — |
| Other | 4.9% | 2.2% | −2.7 pts |
Compared with the U.S. and nearby states
| Where | Renewable | Carbon-free | Largest source |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 4.4% | 49.8% | Natural gas 48.9% |
| U.S. average | 25.2% | 42.9% | Natural gas 40.7% |
| New York | 29.1% | 49.7% | Natural gas |
| Delaware | 4.3% | 4.3% | Natural gas |
| Pennsylvania | 3.9% | 34.8% | Natural gas |
New Jersey's generation mix in context
Natural gas supplies 49.3% of New Jersey's electricity generation, the largest source. Nuclear power is nearly as large at 45.1%, making the state heavily dependent on these two fuels. Solar accounts for 3.3% of utility-scale generation, though when rooftop solar is counted the share rises to 9.3%. Together, renewables and nuclear make up 49.4% of generation, a carbon-free share that exceeds the national average of 42.6%. However, the renewable share stands at just 4.3%, placing the state 48th among 51 states and DC with generation data.
The generation mix has shifted substantially since 2001. Gas increased from 28.1% to 48.6% in 2025, while coal fell from 15.7% to zero, eliminating a once-significant source. Nuclear declined from 51.3% to 45.9%, reflecting retirements of aging plants. Solar emerged as a new contributor, reaching 3.3% in 2025 after generating nothing in 2001. The renewable share grew from 1.5% to 4.3% across the period. Compared with neighbouring states, New York generates a substantially higher renewable share at 29%, while Delaware and Pennsylvania both generate lower shares at 4.1% and 3.8% respectively. Nationally, gas makes up 40.8% of generation and renewables account for 24.9%, both substantially different from New Jersey's profile.
Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through May 2026.
Frequently asked questions
›What percentage of New Jersey's electricity comes from renewable energy?
›What percentage of New Jersey's power comes from solar?
›Where does New Jersey get most of its electricity?
›Does New Jersey still burn coal for electricity?
›Is New Jersey 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.