From October 2025 through September 2026, fossil fuels supplied about two-thirds of Poland’s electricity, while low-carbon sources provided roughly one-third. Coal alone accounted for just over half of electricity consumption, with gas contributing another 14%. Among clean electricity sources, wind supplied about 14% and solar 13%, followed by biofuels at 4% and hydropower at nearly 2%. Poland therefore has a substantial and growing clean electricity base, but remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels, which contribute to climate change and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Poland?

Poland’s electricity picture shows encouraging clean growth, but overall consumption remains below its historical peak. The latest 2026 figure is about 4,370 kWh per person—around 230 kWh, or 5%, below the record of roughly 4,600 kWh in 2018. This does not establish whether consumption fell from the immediately preceding year, but it does show that the earlier peak has not been regained. Meanwhile, low-carbon electricity generation reached a new record of about 1,450 kWh per person, up nearly 70 kWh, or 5%, from the previous record in 2025. That clean electricity progress is welcome; expanding overall electricity supply will also be important as electrification and AI increase future demand.

Suggestions

Poland should accelerate the expansion of wind and solar, both of which already make substantial contributions, while building nuclear generation to broaden its clean electricity supply. Nearby regions offer useful examples: Denmark generates almost 60% of its electricity from wind, Lithuania about 40%, and Germany roughly 30%. For solar, North Macedonia’s 40% share demonstrates the scale achievable, although local conditions differ. Nuclear experience in neighbouring Slovakia and Czechia is especially relevant: nuclear supplies about two-thirds of Slovakia’s electricity and 41% of Czechia’s, while France achieves roughly two-thirds. Drawing on these examples, Poland can combine sustained wind and solar development with a strong nuclear programme, supported by grid expansion, to increase low-carbon electricity generation.

History

Poland’s low-carbon electricity history shows an increasingly strong contribution from wind and, more recently, solar. Hydropower generation rose by 1.7 TWh in 1990, while biofuels recorded gains of 1.6 TWh in 2009 and 2.5 TWh in 2012, followed by a 2 TWh decline in 2016. During the 2010s, wind delivered repeated annual increases, including 3.2 TWh in 2015 and 2.3 TWh in 2017; its disappointing 2.1 TWh decline in 2018 was followed by a 2.2 TWh recovery in 2019. Growth accelerated in the 2020s: wind added 3.5 TWh in 2022 and 4.4 TWh in 2023, while solar posted gains every year listed from 2021 through 2026. Solar’s largest increase was 6.6 TWh in 2024, followed by further additions of 2.6 TWh in 2025 and 2.1 TWh in 2026—welcome progress that Poland should build upon.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

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