From September 2025 through August 2026, low-carbon sources supplied about 71% of Portugal’s electricity consumption. Hydropower contributed almost 29%, wind 22%, solar about 14%, and biofuels 5%. Fossil fuels supplied roughly 16%, mainly gas at nearly 14%, with oil contributing about 2%. Net imports covered the remaining 14%; their carbon profile is not specified in the data. Portugal therefore already gets more than two-thirds of its electricity from clean domestic sources, but further low-carbon generation could displace fossil electricity and its associated climate-changing emissions and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Portugal?

Electricity consumption per person is not currently growing relative to Portugal’s previous record. The latest 2026 figure is about 5,930 kWh per person, compared with roughly 6,060 kWh in 2025—a decline of about 130 kWh, or 2%. Low-carbon electricity generation also slipped, from about 4,265 to 4,186 kWh per person, a reduction of 79 kWh, or nearly 2%. These declines are concerning: Portugal needs sustained growth in clean electricity to support electrification and emerging demand, including from AI, rather than falling back from its recent achievements.

Suggestions

Portugal can increase low-carbon electricity generation by expanding its already substantial wind and solar sectors while considering nuclear generation as an additional clean electricity source. European examples offer useful benchmarks: Denmark generates 57% of its electricity from wind, while Ireland generates 35%, compared with Portugal’s 22%. For solar, the US states of California and Nevada generate about 31% and 35%, respectively, showing the scope for solar to contribute much more than Portugal’s current 14%. Nearby Spain generates 18% of its electricity from nuclear, while France generates about two-thirds. Learning from these regions could help Portugal build a larger, diversified low-carbon electricity supply, supported by grid expansion and storage.

History

Portugal’s recorded low-carbon electricity history shows substantial year-to-year changes in hydropower. Generation rose by about 5 TWh in 1977, then fell by more than 6 TWh in 1989. The 1990s brought further swings, including a 6 TWh increase in 1996 between declines in 1992 and 1999. In the 2000s, strong gains in 2003, 2006, and 2010 contrasted with substantial losses in 2002, 2004, and 2005. The 2010s continued this pattern: increases of about 8 TWh in 2013 and 7 TWh in 2016 were followed by other setbacks, notably a 9 TWh decline in 2017, before a 6 TWh recovery in 2018. More recently, hydropower fell by nearly 5 TWh in 2022 and rebounded by 6 TWh in 2023. These fluctuations underline the importance of expanding solar, wind, and nuclear to sustain clean electricity growth alongside hydropower.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

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