In 2023, Guatemala's electricity consumption largely emphasizes clean energy, with more than 70% of its electricity coming from low-carbon sources. Hydropower is the most significant contributor, making up over 40% of the total electricity. Biofuels account for nearly a quarter of the country's energy mix. Wind and geothermal sources each add an additional 2.4%, while solar contributes close to 2%. Fossil energy, primarily coal, makes up almost a quarter of the remaining mix, posing environmental concerns. The reliance on coal at 17% indicates potential for improvement towards cleaner alternatives. Net imports account for a minor portion at over 3%, which might reflect the need for energy independence.
Data sources used on this page include Ember, IEA and World Bank. More about data sources →
Is Electricity Growing in Guatemala?
Electricity consumption in Guatemala appears to be declining instead of experiencing the desired growth. In 2023, the per capita electricity usage was 769 kWh, marking a significant decrease from the 2021 high of 881 kWh/person. Similarly, low-carbon generation also saw a drop from a previous record of 646 kWh/person in 2021 to 553 kWh/person in the latest figures. This downward trend, with a noticeable decline in total and low-carbon electricity consumption, suggests an emerging challenge for Guatemala in striving to meet increasing future energy demands sustainably.
Suggestions
To boost low-carbon electricity generation, Guatemala could draw lessons from regions that have successfully expanded their clean energy capacities. Countries like France and Slovakia, where nuclear power constitutes a significant share of their electricity generation at over 65%, demonstrate the potential of nuclear energy to provide stable, low-carbon electricity. Moreover, regions such as Iowa and Denmark show how investing in wind energy can achieve high clean energy outputs, with wind power exceeding 50% of electricity generation. Furthermore, Nevada and Lebanon illustrate the benefits of solar energy, with solar power making up around a third of their electricity production. Emulating these successes by investing in nuclear and solar infrastructure could help Guatemala reduce its dependency on fossil fuels and enhance its sustainable energy footprint.
History
Historically, Guatemala's low-carbon electricity generation has seen fluctuations largely driven by changes in hydropower and biofuels output. During the 1980s and 1990s, there were steady increases in hydroelectric power, with notable growth in the early 2000s as well. However, the period between 2009 and 2015 was marred by declines in hydropower output, with 2015 notably seeing a significant reduction of 1 TWh. Encouragingly, hydropower surged in 2017 with a 1.8 TWh increase, followed by a promising boost in biofuels in 2021. Still, in recent times, particularly in 2023, hydropower faced a steep decline of 1.4 TWh, indicating variability and an urgency to stabilize and diversify low-carbon electricity generation. More focus on diverse low-carbon technologies such as solar and nuclear can offer resilience against such fluctuations.
