Qatar’s electricity consumption in 2025 remained overwhelmingly dependent on fossil fuels, which supplied about 94% of the total. Low-carbon electricity accounted for almost 6%, with solar providing nearly all of that clean share at about 5.6%. This leaves considerable room to expand clean electricity and reduce the climate change and air pollution associated with fossil fuel use.

Is Electricity Growing in Qatar?

Electricity consumption is growing in Qatar. In 2025, consumption reached about 20,600 kWh per person, exceeding the previous record of roughly 19,600 kWh in 2024 by nearly 1,000 kWh per person, or 5%. Low-carbon electricity generation also set a substantial new record, reaching about 1,190 kWh per person compared with just 53 kWh in 2021—an increase of roughly 1,135 kWh per person using the underlying figures. This strong growth in clean electricity is encouraging, and sustained expansion can help meet future demand from electrification and AI.

Suggestions

Qatar can build on this progress by expanding solar electricity and considering nuclear generation alongside it. The nearby United Arab Emirates offers a particularly relevant regional example: nuclear supplies about 20% of its electricity. France, at roughly two-thirds nuclear, demonstrates how large a role this clean source can play. For solar, sunny, arid regions provide useful comparisons: the US state of Nevada generates about 35% of its electricity from solar, while the US state of Arizona generates about 19% from solar and 25% from nuclear. Qatar could draw on these examples to develop a complementary mix of daytime solar production and dependable nuclear electricity, supported by grid investment and storage.

History

Qatar’s recent low-carbon electricity history shows several years of stagnation followed by a major breakthrough. From 2020 through 2024, the supplied data records no year-on-year increase in either solar or biofuel electricity generation—a disappointing lack of growth given the need for more clean electricity. In 2025, solar generation increased by 3.5 TWh, while biofuel generation again remained unchanged. That solar surge marks an encouraging turning point and provides a strong foundation for continued low-carbon electricity expansion.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade