From May 2025 through April 2026, Puerto Rico relied on fossil fuels for about 97% of its electricity consumption, leaving clean electricity at only about 3%. Gas supplied almost half of electricity, while coal accounted for roughly 17%; other fossil sources supplied the remainder. Low-carbon electricity came from solar, at about 1.4%, and wind, at about 1.1%. This overwhelming dependence on fossil electricity highlights the opportunity to expand clean generation while reducing climate-changing emissions and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Puerto Rico?

Puerto Rico’s latest figures show electricity consumption well below its historical peak, rather than sustained growth. Electricity consumption in 2026 was about 5,000 kWh per person, compared with the record of roughly 6,600 kWh in 2006—a decline of about 1,600 kWh, or 24%. Low-carbon electricity generation was also far below its record: about 128 kWh per person, compared with 338 kWh in 2024, a drop of roughly 210 kWh, or 62%. These figures do not establish the latest year-to-year trend, but the distance below both records is concerning. Expanding clean electricity would help support electrification and future demand, including from AI.

Suggestions

Puerto Rico should prioritize a substantial expansion of solar electricity while exploring nuclear generation as a complementary source of low-carbon power. The US state of Hawaii is a particularly relevant island example, generating about 23% of its electricity from solar; Cyprus also reaches about 23%, while the US state of Nevada reaches 35%. Puerto Rico can learn from these regions’ experience deploying solar, alongside investment in storage and stronger electricity networks. Wind can contribute too: the island country of Cape Verde generates about 14% of its electricity from wind and another 14% from solar. For nuclear electricity, the US state of South Carolina generates more than half of its electricity from nuclear, while France generates about two-thirds. These examples demonstrate the substantial contributions that solar, wind, and nuclear can make to a cleaner electricity supply.

History

Historically, Puerto Rico’s low-carbon electricity generation experienced small hydro fluctuations before more recent solar and wind additions. In the 1980s, hydro generation fell by 0.1 TWh in 1981 before rising by 0.1 TWh in both 1985 and 1987. A 0.2 TWh decline in 1990 was followed by gains in 1996 and 1999, then further declines in 2000 and 2012; 2004 showed no change. Wind generation increased by 0.2 TWh in 2013, remained unchanged in the listed years 2014 and 2016, and gained another 0.1 TWh in both 2019 and 2024. Solar delivered encouraging annual gains from 2018 through 2022, totaling 0.8 TWh across those years. However, its 0.6 TWh decline in 2025 marked a worrying reversal, underscoring the importance of restoring growth and sustaining clean electricity expansion.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

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