From May 2025 through April 2026, almost three-quarters of Ecuador’s electricity came from low-carbon sources, while fossil fuels supplied about a quarter. Hydropower dominated, providing around 71% of electricity, with biofuels contributing about 1%. Gas accounted for nearly 3% of electricity and was part of the overall fossil-fuel share of roughly 26%. Net imports supplied the remaining 1%. Ecuador therefore has a strong clean-electricity foundation, although fossil generation remains substantial.

Is Electricity Growing in Ecuador?

Electricity consumption per person is growing modestly. The latest 2026 figure reached 2,140 kWh per person, exceeding the previous record of 2,104 kWh in 2025 by 36 kWh, or about 2%. Low-carbon electricity generation, however, was approximately 1,561 kWh per person, slightly below its 2025 record of 1,570 kWh—less than a 1% decline. Record electricity consumption is encouraging, but the slight retreat in clean generation shows why Ecuador needs faster low-carbon expansion to meet rising demand from electrification and emerging uses such as AI.

Suggestions

Ecuador can build on its hydropower foundation by expanding solar and wind generation and considering nuclear electricity. Nearby Chile offers a particularly relevant example: solar supplies about 24% of its electricity and wind another 14%. Uruguay generates roughly a third of its electricity from wind, while Brazil obtains about 14% from wind and 11% from solar. These regional examples support a strong push for solar installations and well-sited wind projects in Ecuador, alongside grid investment. For dependable low-carbon generation, Ecuador should also assess a nuclear programme, drawing lessons from France, where nuclear supplies about two-thirds of electricity, and the United Arab Emirates, where it supplies about a fifth. Together, these clean sources could increase electricity availability while displacing fossil fuels and their climate and air-pollution impacts.

History

Ecuador’s recorded low-carbon electricity history is largely a story of hydropower expansion punctuated by setbacks. Generation rose by a combined 2.3 TWh in 1983–1984; in the 1990s, gains in 1993 and 1996 surrounded a 1.4 TWh decline in 1995. Strong increases in 2007–2008 added 4.2 TWh, followed by a 2.1 TWh fall in 2009. The 2010s brought especially impressive growth: gains in 2011–2012 were followed by a decline in 2013, then substantial increases in 2015–2017, including 4.3 TWh in 2017 alone, and another 4 TWh in 2019. More recently, increases in 2021 and 2023 alternated with declines in 2022 and 2024, the latter reaching 2.7 TWh. The strong 5.1 TWh rebound in 2025 was a welcome achievement and provides a foundation for further clean-electricity growth.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

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