In 2023, Libya’s electricity consumption depended overwhelmingly on fossil fuels, which supplied about 98% of the total. Gas alone accounted for almost three-quarters, with other fossil fuels supplying roughly another quarter. Net imports covered about 2%, while domestic low-carbon electricity contributed close to none. This leaves considerable scope for clean electricity to replace fossil generation and reduce its associated air pollution and climate impacts.

Is Electricity Growing in Libya?

Libya’s electricity consumption per person has not surpassed its historical peak. In 2023, it stood at about 4,900 kWh per person, roughly 1,100 kWh—or 18%—below the 2013 record of about 6,000 kWh. Low-carbon generation remained at just 1 kWh per person, matching its 2019 record rather than improving on it. These figures show a disappointing shortfall from peak consumption and stagnation in clean generation, although they do not establish whether total electricity consumption rose or fell in the latest year. Expanding clean electricity would help meet future demand from electrification and growing digital infrastructure.

Suggestions

Libya can increase low-carbon electricity generation by prioritizing solar development while exploring wind and nuclear power. Nearby and climatically relevant examples offer useful lessons: solar supplies almost a third of electricity generation in Lebanon, about a quarter in Cyprus, and 15% in Jordan. The US state of Nevada generates about a third of its electricity from solar, providing another useful example for a sunny, arid region. Morocco’s roughly 20% wind share illustrates the potential value of developing suitable wind resources. For nuclear electricity, the United Arab Emirates, at about 20%, offers a regional reference, while France’s roughly two-thirds share demonstrates nuclear power’s ability to underpin a clean electricity system. Libya could draw on these experiences through grid investment, clear procurement arrangements, workforce development, and the institutions needed for a nuclear program.

History

Libya’s recorded solar history shows prolonged stagnation: every year from 2004 through 2023 reports a change of 0 TWh compared with the previous year. Across the mid-2000s, the entire 2010s, and the early 2020s, the supplied figures therefore show no measurable annual expansion at the reported precision. These rounded changes do not necessarily mean that no solar electricity was generated or that no small additions occurred, but, alongside the extremely low 2023 clean-generation figure, they underscore the need to move from negligible deployment toward sustained growth in low-carbon electricity.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade