Energy

How much of US electricity comes from hydropower?

Hydropower made 5.6% of US electricity in 2025, down from 32% in 1949. Dams make about as much as they did in 1970, while total generation nearly tripled; the share also moves with rain and snow, dipping in dry years. The 2025 figures are preliminary.

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Source and date

Source
U.S. Energy Information Administration, Monthly Energy Review (Table 7.2a)
License
Public domain (U.S. government work)
Data as of
Published

The data

Year Share of US electricity generation (%)
1949 32
1950 30.2
1951 27.8
1952 27.2
1953 24.5
1954 23.4
1955 21.1
1956 20.7
1957 21
1958 22.1
1959 19.8
1960 19.7
1961 19.5
1962 20
1963 18.4
1964 18.3
1965 18.6
1966 17.2
1967 18.5
1968 16.9
1969 17.5
1970 16.3
1971 16.7
1972 15.7
1973 14.8
1974 16.3
1975 15.8
1976 14.1
1977 10.5
1978 12.8
1979 12.6
1980 12.2
1981 11.5
1982 13.9
1983 14.5
1984 13.4
1985 11.5
1986 11.8
1987 9.8
1988 8.4
1989 9.2
1990 9.6
1991 9.4
1992 8.2
1993 8.8
1994 8
1995 9.3
1996 10.1
1997 10.2
1998 8.9
1999 8.6
2000 7.2
2001 5.8
2002 6.9
2003 7.1
2004 6.8
2005 6.7
2006 7.1
2007 6
2008 6.2
2009 6.9
2010 6.3
2011 7.8
2012 6.8
2013 6.6
2014 6.3
2015 6.1
2016 6.6
2017 7.4
2018 7
2019 7
2020 7.1
2021 6.1
2022 6
2023 5.9
2024 5.6
2025 5.6