Wind, solar and hydro delivered 56.1% of Colorado’s electricity in the second quarter of 2026
Renewables as a percentage of Colorado’s total electricity supply grew during the second quarter of 2026.
Renewables as a percentage of Colorado’s total electricity supply grew during the second quarter of 2026.
In the first three months, wind, solar, and hydro were responsible for a bit more than 53% of Colorado’s total electricity. It was the first time that renewables constituted a majority.
In the second quarter, April through June, renewables were responsible for 56.1%, according to the Energy Information Administration posting on Wednesday morning. That is an all-time one-quarter high.
Through June in 2026, Colorado is at 54.7% renewables.
“Renewable energy is on a roll in Colorado,” said Boulder’s Ron Sinton, who monitors the EIA data.
“The 54.7% fraction of renewable generation for the first half of 2026 pulls us up to 49.6% for the last 4 quarters as more of the planned solar and wind comes online. We got more power from solar in the first half of 2026 than from coal, at 17% solar and 13% coal! Coal has been pushed to the margins as its retirement date approaches and the planned phase-in of solar and wind proceeds.”
Sinton noted the continued drama about keeping coal plants available. But, in fact, coal in the first half of 2026 constituted 45% less of Colorado’s total electrical production than it had in the first half of 2025.
Solar increased 26% compared to the same period a year before, wind 7%, and gas 15%. There was also a small gain in hydroelectric power.
“Surprisingly, much of the time in 2026 solar and wind have essentially supplied the dispatchable power to follow the electricity demand in each hour while fossil fuel has been relegated to the secondary role,” said Sinton.
Meanwhile, individual utilities have in some cases exceeded Colorado’s average. Holy Cross Energy, a Glenwood Springs-based electrical cooperative, through July has recorded 87% of its electricity from renewable sources.
Below are the numbers from the EIA website for the last four quarters in Colorado.
For a lengthy parse of this transition, see this July 4 story at Big Pivots. For the elevator-ride version of the same story, go here.
- Another record for renewables in Colorado - August 26, 2026
- Green Mountain 15.9% full - August 26, 2026
- Lawn watering ends Oct. 1 in metro Denver - August 26, 2026
