In 2025, Trinidad & Tobago’s electricity consumption remained overwhelmingly dependent on fossil fuels, which supplied about 98.5% of the total. Low-carbon electricity accounted for just 1.5%, entirely from solar. This means almost all electricity still came from fossil sources, leaving considerable scope for clean electricity to reduce climate-changing emissions and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Trinidad & Tobago?

Electricity consumption per person has not regained its historic peak. In 2025, it stood at about 6,460 kWh per person—roughly 745 kWh, or 10%, below the 2015 record of around 7,210 kWh. These figures show a shortfall from the peak, rather than establishing the latest year-on-year trend. Low-carbon electricity generation, however, reached a welcome new record of 97 kWh per person, nearly three times the previous record of 35 kWh set in 1971. That progress is encouraging, but much stronger clean electricity growth is needed to support future electrification and rising demand.

Suggestions

Trinidad & Tobago can accelerate progress by expanding solar electricity while exploring wind and nuclear generation. Relevant island examples include Cyprus and the US state of Hawaii, where solar supplies about 23% of electricity; their experience offers useful lessons for deploying solar across rooftops and larger sites. Cape Verde generates about 14% of its electricity from solar and another 14% from wind, illustrating how both technologies can contribute in an island setting. For nuclear electricity, Trinidad & Tobago could examine the United Arab Emirates, where nuclear supplies 20%, and France, where it supplies roughly two-thirds. Learning from these regions’ planning, skills development and project delivery could help build a larger, more diverse low-carbon electricity supply.

History

The supplied historical figures show long stretches with no recorded annual growth in the listed low-carbon sources. Biofuel electricity generation showed no change in the reported years from 1991–1997 and 2000–2009; these figures describe changes, not necessarily zero generation. Solar likewise recorded no change in 2019 and 2024, before adding 0.1 TWh in 2025—about 100 million kWh. That recent increase is a welcome break from the earlier stagnation and provides a foundation for sustained clean electricity expansion.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade