From May 2025 through April 2026, almost three-quarters of Ecuador’s electricity came from low-carbon sources. Hydropower dominated, supplying about 71% of electricity, while biofuels contributed around 1%. Fossil fuels supplied roughly 26%, including about 3% from gas, and net imports accounted for just over 1%. Ecuador therefore has a predominantly clean electricity supply, but fossil generation still provides about a quarter, contributing to climate change and air pollution.

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%. That is encouraging progress, but low-carbon electricity generation per person has not kept pace: it stood at about 1,561 kWh, slightly below the 2025 record of 1,570 kWh—a decline of roughly 8–9 kWh, allowing for rounding. This clean-electricity stagnation is concerning: Ecuador needs stronger growth in low-carbon generation to support electrification and future demand, including from AI.

Suggestions

Ecuador should expand solar generation and consider developing nuclear electricity alongside its substantial hydropower supply. Nearby Chile offers a particularly relevant example, generating about a quarter of its electricity from solar, while Brazil gets around 11% from solar. Regional experience also supports exploring wind: Uruguay generates about a third of its electricity from wind, and Costa Rica around 13%. For nuclear development, Ecuador could learn from France, where nuclear supplies roughly two-thirds of electricity, and from the United Arab Emirates, where it supplies about a fifth. These examples offer useful lessons in planning, workforce development and building a larger, more diversified clean electricity system.

History

Ecuador’s low-carbon electricity history has largely been a story of hydropower expansion. In the early 1980s, hydro generation increased by a combined 2.3 TWh in 1983–1984. The 1990s brought gains in 1993 and 1996 around a decline in 1995. Strong increases totaling 4.2 TWh in 2007–2008 were followed by a 2.1 TWh fall in 2009. The 2010s delivered substantial progress, especially during 2015–2017, when annual increases totaled 8.6 TWh, followed by another 4 TWh increase in 2019. More recently, gains in 2021 and 2023 were interrupted by declines in 2022 and 2024, before an impressive 5.1 TWh rebound in 2025. Sustaining that momentum while adding solar, wind and potentially nuclear generation would help Ecuador achieve continued 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.