In the Republic of China (Taiwan), fossil fuels supplied about 86% of electricity consumed during the twelve months from August 2025 to July 2026, while low-carbon sources supplied only about 14%. Gas accounted for half of electricity consumption, coal for roughly a third, and oil for about 2%. Clean electricity came primarily from solar at 6%, wind at 4%, and hydropower at 3%, with other unspecified low-carbon sources contributing about 1%. This heavy reliance on fossil electricity leaves considerable scope for expanding clean generation and reducing climate-changing emissions and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Republic of China (Taiwan)?

Electricity consumption is growing, but only slightly: the latest 2026 figure reached about 12,600 kWh per person, surpassing the previous record set in 2025 by 94 kWh per person—an increase of less than 1%. Low-carbon electricity generation, however, remains well below its historical peak. The latest figure of about 1,820 kWh per person is roughly 560 kWh, or 23%, below the 2013 record of about 2,380 kWh per person. The new consumption record is welcome, but the shortfall in clean generation is concerning: Taiwan needs much stronger low-carbon electricity growth to support electrification and rising demand from AI and other industries.

Suggestions

Taiwan should pursue a substantial expansion of nuclear and solar electricity, alongside further wind development. South Korea, a particularly relevant regional example with a major industrial economy, generates a quarter of its electricity from nuclear; France demonstrates that nuclear can supply roughly two-thirds. Taiwan could draw on these examples when considering restoring nuclear generation and building additional capacity. For solar, the island setting of the US state of Hawaii offers a useful reference: solar supplies about 23% of its electricity, compared with Taiwan’s 6%. The US state of California also demonstrates substantial solar deployment, at about 31%. Rooftop and larger-scale solar projects, supported by grid investment and storage, could lift Taiwan’s contribution significantly. For wind, the United Kingdom and Denmark generate about 30% and 57% of their electricity respectively, offering useful examples for expanding Taiwan’s offshore wind sector.

History

Taiwan’s low-carbon electricity history shows strong early nuclear growth followed by substantial reversals. In the 1980s, the listed annual nuclear increases ranged from 3 to 6 TWh, followed in 1990 by gains of about 5 TWh from nuclear and 3 TWh from hydropower. A 3 TWh nuclear decline in 2001 was followed by a 4 TWh recovery in 2002. The much sharper losses in 2015–2017 totaled almost 20 TWh; gains of nearly 10 TWh in 2018–2019 only partly reversed them. From 2021 through 2025, the listed nuclear declines totaled about 28 TWh, including almost 9 TWh lost in 2025 alone. These repeated losses represent a deeply disappointing retreat in clean electricity generation. Wind’s encouraging 4 TWh increase in 2024 did not even offset that year’s nuclear decline, underscoring the need to expand multiple low-carbon sources rather than allow gains in one to be overwhelmed by losses in another.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

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