Barbados energy mix & electricity

Power plants in Barbados produced 1.1 TWh of electricity in 2024. That is similar to Rwanda. The supply is almost entirely oil, which accounted for 88.3% of generation; solar power made up most of the remainder (9%).

Renewables supplied 9% of the electricity, which ranks Barbados 131st of 158 countries (in the bottom quarter). This puts it 25 points below the world average of 33.8%. It is also below the average for North America (28.8%). Generating one kWh emits about 595 g CO₂e here (world average: 458 g). The grid is more carbon-intensive than the world average. On carbon intensity, Barbados ranks 124th of 158 from the cleanest.

Since 2014, the fastest-growing source has been solar power: its output rose by 90 GWh, lifting its share by 8 percentage points. Taken together, the renewable share rose by 8 percentage points over the decade. Total generation grew by 80 GWh over the same period. Carbon intensity dropped from 650 to 595 g/kWh, a 9% cut.

Coal has never been part of the power mix in Barbados in any meaningful way.

Wind and solar together provided 9% of electricity (solar 9%, wind 0%), compared with 17.3% worldwide. Per person, that is 354 kWh of solar electricity a year, 1× the global average. Solar first passed 1% of the mix in 2016.

Barbados generates 3,930 kWh of electricity per resident each year, roughly the global average. Barbados does not trade electricity with other countries: the grid is not interconnected with any neighbour.