From August 2025 through July 2026, fossil fuels supplied almost two-thirds of Japan’s electricity consumption, while low-carbon sources provided about 35%. Gas accounted for 30% and coal for roughly 29%, with oil contributing another 2%. Among clean electricity sources, solar led at about 11%, followed by nuclear at nearly 10%, hydropower at 8%, biofuels at 5%, and wind at just over 1%. Japan therefore has a substantial low-carbon foundation, but fossil fuels still dominate its electricity supply, contributing to climate change and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Japan?

Japan’s latest figures do not show growth beyond its historical peaks, although these comparisons alone cannot establish the most recent year-to-year trend. Electricity consumption in 2026 was about 7,825 kWh per person, roughly 1,309 kWh, or 14%, below the 2010 record. Low-carbon electricity generation stood at about 2,752 kWh per person, around 791 kWh, or 22%, below its 1998 peak. These shortfalls are concerning: Japan needs to rebuild clean electricity output and expand supply to support electrification, industry, and growing AI-related demand.

Suggestions

Japan should expand its already substantial solar generation while increasing nuclear electricity output and developing more wind power. The US state of California, where solar supplies 31% of electricity, and Spain, at 23%, offer useful examples for scaling solar deployment. South Korea is a particularly relevant regional comparison: nuclear supplies 25% of its electricity, demonstrating a much larger contribution in another industrialized East Asian economy. France, with 67% nuclear electricity, provides a further example of large-scale clean generation. For wind, the United Kingdom’s 30% share offers a useful island-country reference. Investment in grids, storage, and stronger connections between Japanese regions would help these clean sources support growing electricity demand.

History

Japan’s low-carbon electricity history shows substantial nuclear expansion followed by deeply concerning losses and partial recoveries. Nuclear generation rose by about 28 TWh in 1978, with further annual gains of roughly 20–25 TWh during several years of the 1980s and 1990s. In 1994, a roughly 20 TWh nuclear increase partly offset a 30 TWh hydropower decline. The 2000s brought sharp reversals: nuclear output fell by about 25 TWh in 2002 and 55 TWh in 2003, recovered strongly in 2004–2005, then dropped by 40 TWh in 2007 before gaining 22 TWh in 2009. The extraordinary nuclear declines of about 187 TWh in 2011 and 86 TWh in 2012 represented a severe setback for clean electricity supply. Subsequent gains of 32 TWh in 2018 and 26 TWh in 2023 were encouraging, although a 21 TWh decline in 2020 interrupted that recovery. Sustained expansion, rather than repeated losses of low-carbon output, should be Japan’s priority.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

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