Where South Carolina Gets Its Electricity
Net generation by source · 12-month average, July 2025 – June 2026.
Generation mix
| Source | Share | Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 23.1% | 23,671 GWh |
| Coal | 17.3% | 17,710 GWh |
| Nuclear | 52.5% | 53,760 GWh |
| Wind | 0.0% | 0 GWh |
| Solar | 3.5% | 3,627 GWh |
| Hydro | 2.2% | 2,261 GWh |
| Other | 1.3% | 1,340 GWh |
102.4 TWh generated over the 12 months to June 2026. Shares are of net generation within South Carolina, 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. South Carolina generated 678 GWh that way. Counting it on both sides of the ratio takes solar from 3.5% to 4.2%.
How the mix has shifted since 2001
| Source | 2001 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1.3% | 21.5% | +20.2 pts |
| Coal | 41.2% | 17.4% | −23.8 pts |
| Nuclear | 55.9% | 54.2% | −1.7 pts |
| Wind | 0.0% | 0.0% | — |
| Solar | 0.0% | 3.2% | +3.2 pts |
| Hydro | 1.4% | 2.4% | +1.0 pts |
| Other | 0.2% | 1.3% | +1.1 pts |
Compared with the U.S. and nearby states
| Where | Renewable | Carbon-free | Largest source |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 7.3% | 59.8% | Nuclear 52.5% |
| U.S. average | 25.2% | 42.9% | Natural gas 40.7% |
| North Carolina | 14.3% | 45.0% | Natural gas |
| Georgia | 12.5% | 47.0% | Natural gas |
South Carolina's generation mix in context
Nuclear power dominates South Carolina's electricity generation, supplying 52.5% of the state's total since June 2025. This far exceeds the national nuclear share of 17.7%, making nuclear the largest source by a wide margin. Gas ranks second in the state at 22.8%, well below the national average of 40.8%, while coal contributes 17.6%.
Renewable generation in South Carolina accounts for 7.3% of total output, positioning the state 44th among the 51 states and territories with generation data. Solar comprises 3.5% of generation on a utility-scale basis, or 4.1% when rooftop solar is included; the state ranks 31st for solar share. This renewable share trails the national level of 24.9% by 17.6 percentage points. Both neighbouring states exceed South Carolina's renewable contribution: North Carolina generates 14.3% from renewables and Georgia 12.5%.
Since 2001, South Carolina's generation mix has shifted markedly. Coal fell from 41.2% in 2001 to 17.4% in 2025, a decline of 23.8 percentage points. Gas surged in the opposite direction, rising from 1.3% to 21.5% over the same span. Nuclear held relatively steady, edging down 1.7 percentage points to 54.2% by 2025. Renewable generation grew from 2.4% to 7.1%, with solar emerging as a new contributor at 3.2% in 2025 after registering nothing in 2001.
Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through May 2026.
Frequently asked questions
›What percentage of South Carolina's electricity comes from renewable energy?
›What percentage of South Carolina's power comes from solar?
›Where does South Carolina get most of its electricity?
›Does South Carolina still burn coal for electricity?
›Is South Carolina 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.