In 2024, more than three-quarters of Kyrgyzstan’s electricity consumption—about 78%—was supplied by low-carbon hydropower. Fossil fuels accounted for around 12%, including roughly 9% from coal and 1% from gas, while net imports supplied about 10%. The carbon intensity of those imports is not specified, so they should be treated separately rather than classified as clean or fossil electricity. Kyrgyzstan therefore has a strongly low-carbon domestic electricity supply, but coal still contributes to climate change and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Kyrgyzstan?

The figures do not show sustained growth toward Kyrgyzstan’s historical electricity consumption levels. In 2024, consumption was about 1,100 kWh per person, compared with the record of roughly 3,500 kWh in 1990—a shortfall of about 2,400 kWh per person, or nearly 70%. Low-carbon electricity generation was around 855 kWh per person, about two-thirds below its 1996 record of roughly 2,560 kWh. These comparisons do not establish the latest annual consumption trend, but they reveal a concerning gap from past achievements. Expanding clean electricity would help meet future demand from electrification, economic development and AI.

Suggestions

Kyrgyzstan can build on its hydropower foundation by expanding solar and wind generation and considering nuclear electricity. Pakistan offers a relevant regional example: solar supplies almost a quarter of its electricity generation, while nuclear supplies about 13%. Armenia, another mountainous country, generates almost 30% of its electricity from nuclear, while France and Slovakia demonstrate that nuclear can supply around two-thirds. For solar, the US state of Nevada generates about 35% of its electricity from this source; for wind, Denmark and the US state of Iowa each generate more than half. These regions offer useful lessons in project delivery, grid development and building a diversified clean electricity supply, with local resource assessments guiding Kyrgyzstan’s investments.

History

Kyrgyzstan’s reported low-carbon electricity history is a story of substantial hydropower gains repeatedly interrupted by declines. During the 1990s, increases of about 2.6 TWh in 1994, 1.1 TWh in 1996 and 2.2 TWh in 1999 contrasted with falls in 1992, 1997 and 1998. The early 2000s brought declines in 2001–2002 followed by recovery in 2003–2004, before a sharp 2.6 TWh drop in 2008. Generation rose again in 2010–2011, including a strong 3 TWh gain in 2011, but fell in 2013 and 2015 before recovering by 2.7 TWh in 2017. Most concerning is the recent sequence: hydropower declined each year from 2021 through 2024, with the largest reported fall—4.6 TWh—in 2024. Reversing this loss and adding new low-carbon generation should be a priority.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade