From August 2025 through July 2026, fossil fuels supplied almost three-quarters of Mexico’s electricity, while low-carbon sources provided about a quarter. Gas dominated the mix at around 60%, with coal and oil contributing roughly 7% each. Among clean electricity sources, hydropower supplied about 8%, solar 7%, wind 6%, and nuclear 3%. Mexico therefore still depends heavily on fossil electricity, with substantial scope to expand clean generation and reduce the climate-changing emissions and air pollution associated with fossil fuels.

Is Electricity Growing in Mexico?

Electricity consumption per person is growing, although modestly: the latest 2026 figure of 2,815 kWh per person exceeds the previous record, set in 2024, by 44 kWh, or about 1.6%. That is encouraging progress as electrification and AI increase electricity needs. However, low-carbon electricity generation has not regained its previous peak. At 709 kWh per person, it remains 23 kWh, or about 3%, below the 2021 record of 732 kWh. This shortfall is concerning: Mexico needs clean electricity generation to grow alongside consumption, rather than leave additional demand dependent on fossil fuels.

Suggestions

Mexico can accelerate low-carbon electricity growth by expanding solar, wind, and nuclear generation, supported by stronger transmission networks and streamlined project development. Nearby sunny regions offer useful solar examples: the US states of Nevada and California generate about a third of their electricity from solar, while Chile generates almost a quarter. For wind, Mexico can learn from the neighboring US states of New Mexico and Texas, where wind supplies roughly 37% and 22%, respectively. Nuclear expansion would complement these sources with steady clean electricity: the US state of Arizona generates a quarter of its electricity from nuclear, while France demonstrates the potential of a larger nuclear fleet, producing about two-thirds of its electricity from it.

History

Mexico’s low-carbon electricity history has been marked by large year-to-year swings in hydropower. In the 1980s and 1990s, substantial gains—including about 8 TWh in 1981 and 1999—alternated with declines of around 5–6 TWh. The 2000s brought another recovery in 2004 and a nearly 12 TWh increase in 2008, followed by a disappointing 12.5 TWh fall in 2009. Hydropower rebounded by roughly 10 TWh in 2010 and 11 TWh in 2014, but fell by about 8 TWh in both 2015 and 2019. Encouragingly, solar and wind each added nearly 5 TWh in 2019, and solar added another 9 TWh in 2020. Hydropower then rose by about 8 TWh in 2021, suffered a sharp 15 TWh decline in 2023, and recovered by around 5 TWh in 2025. These fluctuations reinforce the importance of sustained growth across a broader clean electricity mix, especially solar and nuclear.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

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