In 2023, just over half of Belize’s electricity consumption—about 55%—was supplied by low-carbon generation. Hydropower contributed roughly a third, biofuels about a fifth, and solar just over 1%. Fossil generation supplied around 7%, while net imports accounted for the remaining 38%, or almost two-fifths. Because the data do not specify how imported electricity was generated, its low-carbon or fossil composition cannot be determined.

Is Electricity Growing in Belize?

Belize’s electricity consumption per person remained well below its historical peak in 2023, rather than setting a new growth record. Consumption was about 1,780 kWh per person, down approximately 560 kWh, or 24%, from the 2019 record of 2,330 kWh. Low-carbon electricity generation also lagged its previous peak: about 970 kWh per person in 2023, compared with roughly 1,170 kWh in 2019—a decline of around 190 kWh, or 17%. These shortfalls are concerning as electrification and growing digital demand call for more clean electricity. However, comparison with record years alone does not establish whether consumption rose or fell during 2023 itself.

Suggestions

Belize can increase clean electricity generation by prioritizing solar expansion alongside its existing hydropower. Nearby El Salvador, where solar supplies 17% of electricity generation, provides a particularly relevant regional example; the US state of Hawaii, at 23%, also offers lessons for a smaller electricity system. Rooftop and larger solar projects, supported by storage and grid improvements, could help Belize expand domestic supply. For wind, Belize could learn from regional examples such as Costa Rica and Nicaragua, where wind supplies 13% and 10% of generation respectively, while assessing suitable local sites. Nuclear should also be considered in long-term clean electricity planning, including through regional cooperation: France generates about two-thirds of its electricity from nuclear, and the US state of South Carolina generates just over half, demonstrating nuclear’s substantial contribution to low-carbon electricity supply.

History

Belize’s recorded low-carbon electricity history shows intermittent gains followed by periods of little change. Hydropower increased by about 0.1 TWh in both 2000 and 2006, with no change recorded in the listed years 2003 and 2008. In the early 2010s, hydro and biofuels each added about 0.1 TWh in 2010; biofuels added another 0.1 TWh in 2012, before losing that amount in 2013, when hydro increased by 0.1 TWh. Several listed years through the remainder of the 2010s showed no change in these sources, indicating disappointing pauses in clean electricity growth. Hydropower then declined by about 0.1 TWh in 2021 before recovering by the same amount in 2022, restoring that lost output rather than delivering a net gain across those two years.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade