Denmark already gets more than 93% of its electricity from low-carbon sources—a remarkable achievement. Over the twelve months from October 2025 to September 2026, wind supplied almost 59% of electricity, biofuels about 20%, and solar nearly 15%. Fossil fuels accounted for less than 7%, including roughly 3% from gas and 2% from coal. Denmark is also a significant net exporter of electricity, helping neighboring regions reduce their emissions. The next challenge is to electrify transport, heating, and industry, which will require much more clean electricity.

Is Electricity Growing in Denmark?

The picture of electricity growth is mixed: low-carbon generation is setting records, but electricity consumption per person remains well below its historical peak. The latest 2026 consumption figure is about 6,000 kWh per person, roughly 4,100 kWh—or 41%—below the record of about 10,200 kWh in 1996. This comparison does not establish whether consumption increased or decreased in the latest year. Meanwhile, low-carbon electricity generation reached about 5,600 kWh per person, exceeding the previous record set in 2024 by around 600 kWh, or 12%. That clean-electricity progress is encouraging, but further expansion will be needed to support widespread electrification.

Suggestions

Denmark can build on its success by expanding wind and solar, both of which already supply substantial amounts of low-carbon electricity. Additional offshore and onshore wind capacity, alongside more rooftop and large-scale solar, could increase clean electricity supply for electric vehicles, heat pumps, industry, and growing digital infrastructure. Stronger grids, storage, and flexible electricity demand would help make effective use of this additional generation. Denmark should also consider nuclear electricity as a complementary clean option for meeting future demand while reducing reliance on fossil fuels and their associated climate impacts and air pollution.

History

Denmark’s low-carbon electricity history shows repeated gains led by wind. In the late 1990s and 2000s, notable annual wind increases were generally around 1 TWh. Growth accelerated during the 2010s, with gains of about 2 TWh in 2011, 2014, and 2017, followed by 2.3 TWh in 2019; biofuels also increased by roughly 1.3–1.4 TWh in 2010 and 2017. Wind’s 1.4 TWh decline in 2016 was a disappointing interruption, but growth resumed the following year. In the 2020s, biofuels rose by 2 TWh in 2021, wind increased by 3 TWh in 2022, and solar added 1.2 TWh in 2023. Wind gained another 1.2 TWh in 2024 before a concerning 1.5 TWh decline in 2025, then rebounded by 2.3 TWh in 2026, when biofuels also increased by 1.1 TWh.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

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