Electricity in Moldova in 2024/2025
Between August 2024 and July 2025, Moldova's electricity consumption showed a heavy reliance on fossil fuels, which accounted for more than half of the total electricity generation, with gas alone making up around 63%. A significant portion of electricity, nearly 28%, was imported from other countries, reflecting Moldova's dependence on external sources to meet its energy needs. However, only about 9% of the country's electricity came from low-carbon or clean energy sources. Hydropower was the leading contributor among these, providing close to 5%, while solar and wind energy modestly contributed approximately 2% and 1.7%, respectively. This modest share from clean sources highlights an urgent need for diversification and expansion of low-carbon electricity generation in the country.
Is Electricity Growing in Moldova?
Despite the global push towards more sustainable energy practices, Moldova's electricity consumption has not seen a notable increase from previous historical records. The country's recent electricity usage was 1641 kWh per person, a significant decline of 2003 kWh per person from its peak in 1990, which stood at 3644 kWh per person. The situation is similar in the domain of clean electricity generation, where the latest figures show an output of only 148 kWh per person, down by 51 kWh from the 2023 record. This stagnation indicates a lack of advancement in both overall electricity consumption and the generation of low-carbon electricity, underlining the need for strategic initiatives to boost production and consumption in alignment with green energy goals.
Suggestions
Given this context, Moldova can look towards successful regions to enhance its low-carbon electricity generation. For instance, France and Slovakia have demonstrated substantial success with nuclear energy, generating about 69% and 64% of their electricity from this clean source. Moldova could similarly capitalize on nuclear power as a backbone of its energy transition, considering its efficiency and low environmental footprint. Furthermore, the success stories from wind-rich regions like Iowa and South Dakota in the USA, with wind energy comprising 62% and 60% of their electricity respectively, illustrate the potential of harnessing wind energy effectively. With the integration of nuclear and increased investments in solar infrastructure, following the examples of Lebanon and Nevada where solar contributes significantly, Moldova could advance its clean energy aspirations, reduce dependency on fossil fuels, and mitigate associated negative impacts.
History
Moldova's historical engagement with low-carbon electricity has been characterized by fluctuating contributions, predominantly from hydropower since the early 1990s. The initial years saw minor increases and decreases, with 0.1 TWh added in 1991 and equal reductions in subsequent years. This pattern of inconsistency persisted into the 2010s. Notably, 2010 brought a brief uptick with an additional 0.1 TWh, only to be followed by declines which lasted into 2015. By 2021, hydropower levels remained stagnant. A recent push towards expanding clean energy came in 2022 with a small increment from wind energy and solar catching up slowly thereafter, though improvements were marginal. Regrettably, 2025 witnessed a decline in wind energy generation by 0.1 TWh, highlighting the ongoing struggle to sustain and grow low-carbon electricity production. This history underscores the critical need for Moldova to develop long-term, stable strategies to build its clean energy portfolio.
Electrification
We estimate the degree of electrification by comparing electricity and total energy emissions. More about methodology.