From November 2025 through October 2026, fossil fuels supplied about two-thirds of Poland’s electricity, while low-carbon sources provided almost a third. Coal alone accounted for just over half of electricity consumption, and gas supplied around 14%. Among clean electricity sources, wind and solar each contributed about 14%, followed by biofuels at around 4% and hydropower at roughly 1%. Poland therefore still relies heavily on fossil electricity, although wind and solar already make substantial contributions. Expanding clean electricity would help reduce the climate impacts and air pollution associated with fossil fuels.

Is Electricity Growing in Poland?

Poland’s electricity consumption has not surpassed its historical peak, but low-carbon generation is setting new records. The latest 2026 consumption figure is about 4,370 kWh per person, around 230 kWh—or 5%—below the 2018 record of roughly 4,600 kWh. In contrast, low-carbon electricity generation reached about 1,435 kWh per person, exceeding the previous record of 1,382 kWh in 2025 by around 50 kWh, or 4%. This clean electricity growth is encouraging, but consumption remaining below its historical peak underscores the need to prepare for greater electricity demand from electrification and AI.

Suggestions

Poland should expand its established wind and solar generation while developing nuclear electricity alongside them. Nearby regions offer useful examples: wind supplies about 29% of electricity in Germany and 43% in Lithuania, compared with around 14% in Poland. Hungary’s solar share of about 24% also demonstrates the potential for a larger solar contribution in Central Europe. For nuclear electricity, Poland can learn from neighboring Slovakia and Czechia, where nuclear provides roughly two-thirds and 40% of generation, respectively, as well as France, at around two-thirds. Drawing on these regions’ experience with deployment, infrastructure and workforce development could help Poland build a larger, diversified low-carbon electricity supply.

History

Poland’s low-carbon electricity history shows a shift toward increasingly strong wind and solar growth. Hydropower generation increased by 1.7 TWh in 1990, while biofuels recorded gains in 2009 and 2012 before falling by 2 TWh in 2016. Wind expanded repeatedly during the 2010s, including a 3.2 TWh increase in 2015; a disappointing 2.1 TWh decline in 2018 was followed by a 2.2 TWh recovery in 2019. The 2020s brought stronger momentum: wind added 3.5 TWh in 2022 and 4.4 TWh in 2023, while solar increased every year listed from 2021 through 2026. Solar’s largest gain was 6.6 TWh in 2024, followed by further increases of 2.6 TWh in both 2025 and 2026—an encouraging foundation for continued clean electricity expansion.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

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