Libya’s electricity consumption in 2023 depended almost entirely on fossil fuels, which supplied about 98% of the total. Gas alone accounted for roughly three-quarters of electricity consumption, with other fossil fuels supplying most of the remainder. Net imports contributed just over 2%, while domestic low-carbon electricity was close to nonexistent. This heavy dependence on fossil fuels leaves considerable scope for clean electricity to reduce climate-changing emissions and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Libya?

Libya’s electricity consumption per person has not regained its historic peak. In 2023, it stood at about 4,900 kWh per person, compared with roughly 6,000 kWh in 2013—a shortfall of around 1,100 kWh, or 18%. These figures show a decline from the record, although they do not establish whether consumption increased or decreased in the latest year. Low-carbon electricity generation remained at just 1 kWh per person, matching its 2019 record rather than exceeding it. This stagnation is concerning: Libya needs substantial growth in clean electricity to support electrification, economic development, and emerging demand, including AI.

Suggestions

Libya can increase low-carbon electricity generation by prioritizing solar development while planning for nuclear electricity and exploring suitable wind resources. Relevant regional examples include Lebanon, where solar supplies almost a third of electricity generation, and Jordan, where it supplies 15%. The sunny US state of Nevada generates 35% of its electricity from solar, offering another useful reference for large-scale deployment. Nearby Morocco generates 20% of its electricity from wind, demonstrating the value of developing well-chosen wind sites. For nuclear electricity, Libya can learn from the United Arab Emirates, where nuclear supplies 20% of generation, and France, where it supplies about two-thirds. Investment in grids, workforce training, and strong institutions would help Libya build a growing solar-and-nuclear foundation for clean electricity.

History

Libya’s reported low-carbon electricity history shows a prolonged absence of meaningful expansion. Every annual entry for solar from 2004 through 2023 records a change of 0 TWh compared with the previous year. Across the mid-to-late 2000s, the entire 2010s, and the early 2020s, the supplied data therefore show no recorded annual increase at the reported precision—not necessarily an absolute absence of solar generation. Together with the extremely low 2023 generation level, this is a disappointing record of stagnation and a strong reason to accelerate substantial clean electricity development.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade