In 2023, almost four-fifths of Venezuela’s electricity consumption came from low-carbon sources, overwhelmingly hydropower: hydro supplied about 78%, while other clean sources contributed close to none. Fossil fuels supplied the remaining 22%, with gas accounting for around 15% of all electricity consumed. Venezuela therefore has a largely low-carbon electricity mix, but fossil generation still contributes a substantial share, with associated climate and air-pollution impacts.

Is Electricity Growing in Venezuela?

Venezuela’s electricity consumption per person has not recovered to its historical peak. In 2023, it stood at about 2,930 kWh per person, compared with roughly 4,250 kWh in 2008—a decline of about 1,320 kWh, or 31%. Low-carbon electricity generation per person was also below its 2008 record: around 2,300 kWh versus 3,100 kWh, a drop of roughly 800 kWh, or 26%. These comparisons do not establish the latest annual trend or the trend in total national consumption, but they show a concerning shortfall in electricity availability per person as electrification and AI create additional demand.

Suggestions

Venezuela can increase clean electricity generation by strengthening its hydropower base while expanding solar and wind and considering a nuclear power programme. Nearby Latin American examples offer useful lessons: Chile generates almost a quarter of its electricity from solar, Uruguay generates a third from wind, and Brazil generates around 11% from solar and 15% from wind. Venezuela could study their approaches to project deployment and grid integration. For solar, the US state of Nevada provides another strong example, generating about 35% of its electricity from that source. Nuclear should also be considered as a substantial source of low-carbon electricity: France generates about two-thirds of its electricity from nuclear, while the United Arab Emirates generates a fifth. These regions illustrate pathways toward a larger, more diversified clean electricity supply.

History

The reported history of Venezuela’s low-carbon electricity is a history of hydropower expansion followed by substantial fluctuations. During 1985–1988, the listed annual increases totalled 15 TWh; further gains in the 1990s included a particularly strong 7.6 TWh increase in 1991. Expansion continued in the 2000s, with gains of 9.5 TWh in 2004, 7.2 TWh in 2005, 4.4 TWh in 2006 and 3.8 TWh in 2008. The 2010s brought setbacks and recoveries: generation fell by 9.2 TWh in 2010 before rising by 6.9 TWh in 2011, then fell by 19.3 TWh in 2014, recovered by 10.6 TWh in 2015, and declined again by 11.9 TWh in 2016 and 8.5 TWh in 2019. Encouraging increases of 12.9 TWh in 2020 and 3.2 TWh in 2021 restored some output, underscoring the importance of sustained growth in clean electricity.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade