From September 2025 through August 2026, low-carbon sources supplied almost 72% of Ecuador’s electricity consumption, with hydropower alone accounting for about 70%. Other clean sources contributed roughly 2%. Fossil fuels supplied about 27%, including gas at around 3% of total electricity consumption, while net imports covered just over 1%. Ecuador therefore has a predominantly clean electricity mix, although fossil generation still supplies more than a quarter of consumption, contributing to climate change and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Ecuador?

Electricity consumption is growing in Ecuador and has reached a new per-person record. The latest 2026 figure is 2,259 kWh per person, up by 152 kWh, or about 7%, from the previous record of 2,107 kWh in 2025. Low-carbon electricity generation also reached a record of 1,621 kWh per person, increasing by 49 kWh, or about 3%, from its 2025 peak. Both increases are encouraging, but clean generation is growing more slowly than overall consumption. Accelerating clean electricity expansion would help meet rising demand from electrification and new digital activities while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Suggestions

Ecuador can build on its strong hydropower foundation by expanding solar and wind generation and considering a nuclear power programme. Nearby Chile offers a particularly relevant solar example, producing about 24% of its electricity from solar, while El Salvador generates around 17%. Uruguay’s roughly 31% wind share also demonstrates what a Latin American electricity system can achieve through substantial wind deployment. For nuclear electricity, Ecuador could learn from France, where nuclear supplies about two-thirds of generation, and from the United Arab Emirates, where it supplies about one-fifth. These examples point toward a diversified clean electricity strategy supported by grid investment, clear procurement policies, and the institutions and skilled workforce needed to develop nuclear generation.

History

Ecuador’s low-carbon electricity history has been dominated by hydropower growth, punctuated by disappointing declines. In the early 1980s, hydro generation rose by 0.8 TWh in 1983 and 1.5 TWh in 1984. The 1990s brought mixed results: a 0.8 TWh increase in 1993, a 1.4 TWh decline in 1995, and a 1.2 TWh recovery in 1996. Strong gains in 2007 and 2008 totalled 4.2 TWh, before a 2.1 TWh setback in 2009. Expansion accelerated during the 2010s, particularly with increases of 2.7 TWh in 2016, 4.3 TWh in 2017, and 4 TWh in 2019, despite a decline in 2013. More recently, growth in 2021 was followed by declines of 1 TWh in 2022 and 2.7 TWh in 2024. The substantial 5.5 TWh rebound in 2025, followed by another 0.9 TWh increase in 2026, marks a welcome return to clean electricity growth.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

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