From August 2025 through July 2026, about 79% of Colombia’s electricity consumption came from low-carbon sources, while roughly 21% came from fossil fuels. Hydropower dominated, supplying about 71% of electricity, followed by solar at nearly 7% and biofuels at just over 1%. Among fossil sources, gas supplied about 11%, coal 6%, and oil 3%. Colombia therefore has a largely clean electricity supply, but its remaining fossil generation still contributes to climate change and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Colombia?

Electricity consumption per person is growing and has reached a new record. The latest 2026 figure is about 1,730 kWh per person, roughly 47 kWh—or almost 3%—above the previous record of 1,680 kWh in 2025. Low-carbon electricity generation also reached a record, rising to about 1,365 kWh per person, around 21 kWh above its 2025 peak of 1,344 kWh. These gains are encouraging, although clean generation per person is increasing more slowly than overall consumption. Accelerating clean electricity growth would help Colombia meet additional demand from electrification and expanding digital infrastructure, including AI.

Suggestions

Colombia can build on its strong hydropower foundation by expanding solar and wind and considering a nuclear power programme. Nearby Chile offers a relevant solar example, generating 24% of its electricity from sunlight, compared with Colombia’s roughly 7%. Uruguay generates a third of its electricity from wind, while Brazil obtains 14%, illustrating opportunities within Latin America. For nuclear electricity, Colombia could learn from France, where nuclear supplies about two-thirds of generation, and from the United Arab Emirates, where it supplies 20%. Clear development plans, investment in transmission, and the training of a skilled workforce would help Colombia expand these complementary sources of low-carbon electricity.

History

Colombia’s low-carbon electricity history has been shaped by substantial changes in hydropower generation. After a gain of nearly 3 TWh in 1986, the 1990s brought sharp fluctuations: generation fell by about 5 TWh in 1992, rebounded by nearly 10 TWh across 1993–1994, and recorded further gains in 1996 and 1999 around a 4 TWh decline in 1997. Growth in 2004 and 2006 was followed by another fall of about 5 TWh in 2009. The 2010s included major increases of roughly 9 TWh in 2011 and 12 TWh in 2017, alongside declines in 2014 and 2019. More recently, hydropower fell by nearly 5 TWh in 2020 before rebounding by about 12 TWh in 2021; declines totalling roughly 8 TWh in 2023–2024 were followed by an especially welcome 13 TWh increase in 2025. This uneven record reinforces the value of expanding solar, wind, and nuclear alongside hydropower to sustain clean electricity growth.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

* 12M = Last 12 months (Aug 2025 – Jul 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.