In 2025, Malaysia's electricity consumption shows a dominant reliance on fossil fuels, making up nearly 78% of the energy mix, with coal accounting for nearly 45% and gas around 32%. However, Malaysia is making strides towards cleaner energy, with more than a fifth of its electricity coming from low-carbon sources. Hydropower leads the clean energy contributions with almost 18%, followed by biofuels at nearly 3% and solar just under 2%. The push for low-carbon electricity is commendable, though there's a necessity for further diversification into other clean energy sources.
Is Electricity Growing in Malaysia?
Electricity consumption in Malaysia has unfortunately not grown when comparing to historical peaks. The latest per capita consumption stands at 5245 kWh/person, which is a slight decrease from the 2019 peak of 5338 kWh/person. In contrast, the share of low-carbon electricity has seen a small yet positive rise, reaching 1172 kWh/person, an increase of 19 kWh from the previous record in 2024. While the overall electricity consumption shows a declining trend, the growth in clean electricity signals a hopeful path forward. However, further efforts are essential to expand Malaysia's total and clean energy consumption to meet growing future demands.
Suggestions
To bolster its low-carbon electricity generation, Malaysia can look towards successful regions that have harnessed solar and nuclear energy effectively. Countries like France and Slovakia, with nuclear energy contributing around 65-67%, present a robust model for Malaysia to consider, ensuring substantial carbon reductions while maintaining electricity supply. Likewise, Malaysia might benefit from examining the solar strategies of countries like Lebanon and California, both achieving about 30% of their electricity from solar power. Incorporating these strategies could beautifully complement Malaysia's existing hydropower infrastructure, creating a diversified and sustainable electricity mix for the future.
History
Historically, Malaysia's pathway to low-carbon electricity has been dynamic. In the 1980s and 1990s, hydropower experienced fluctuations with minor expansions and contractions. However, from the early 2000s onward, the trend generally shifted towards growth with notable increases, particularly between 2014 and 2017 where significant additions totaling over 12 TWh were recorded. Biofuels saw a noteworthy rise in 2009 and another surge in 2022, indicating periodic interest in expanding diverse low-carbon sources. Overall, while past decades have seen fluctuations, the recent years depict a clearer commitment towards expanding Malaysia's low-carbon energy capacity.
