Brazil energy mix & electricity
In 2025, Brazil generated 751 TWh of electricity. Hydropower dominates the mix with 51.8%, followed by wind power at 15.7% and solar power at 11.8%.
Electricity generation by source in 2025
Share of electricity generation by source, with the change in percentage points over the last ten years.
| Source | TWh | Share | 10-yr Δ pp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 389 | 51.8% | −10.1 |
| Wind | 118 | 15.7% | +12 |
| Solar | 88.64 | 11.8% | +11.8 |
| Bioenergy | 55.12 | 7.3% | −1.2 |
| Gas | 54.85 | 7.3% | −6.4 |
| Coal | 17.19 | 2.3% | −2.4 |
| Nuclear | 15.87 | 2.1% | −0.4 |
| Oil | 12.65 | 1.7% | −3.3 |
| Total | 751 | 100% |
Brazil: electricity in context
In 2025, Brazil generated 751 TWh of electricity. That is about 2.4% of the world total, in the same league as Canada. Hydropower dominates the mix with 51.8%, followed by wind power at 15.7% and solar power at 11.8%.
The renewable share stood at 86.6%, placing Brazil 21st of 158 ranked countries (in the top quarter). That is 53 points above the world average of 33.8%. It is also above the average for South America (76.8%). The carbon intensity of electricity is 110 g CO₂e/kWh; the global average is 458 g/kWh. By world standards this is a very clean grid. In the cleanest-grid ranking, Brazil is 23rd of 158.
The decade’s big winner is wind power, up 96 TWh between 2015 and 2025 (plus 12 percentage points of the mix). Natural gas moved the other way, falling by 24.6 TWh. The net effect: renewables gained 12.4 percentage points of share since 2015. Total generation grew by 169 TWh over the same period. Carbon intensity dropped from 189 to 110 g/kWh, a 42% cut.
Coal supplies 2.3% of electricity. That is 2.4 percentage points less than in 2015. In absolute terms, coal generation peaked in 2015 at 27 TWh and has since fallen 36%.
Solar (11.8%) and wind (15.7%) now add up to 27.5% of generation; the global figure is 17.3%. Per person, that is 417 kWh of solar electricity a year, 1.2× the global average. In solar electricity per person, Brazil ranks 37th in the world. Wind adds 553 kWh per person, the 28th-highest figure of 156 countries. Solar first passed 1% of the mix in 2019.
Generation per person is 3,527 kWh a year, close to the world average of 3,860 kWh. Imports and exports roughly cancel out.
How the power mix has changed
Electricity generation by source since 1985. Switch to shares to see the structural shift independent of demand growth.
Renewables and carbon intensity
Brazil against the world and South America averages.
Total energy: beyond electricity
Primary energy covers transport, heating and industry too. Renewables supply 49.6% of primary energy and fossil fuels 49.4% (2024). Per person, that is 18,486 kWh a year (world: 21,654).
Substitution method: non-fossil electricity is converted to the primary energy a fossil plant would have needed.
Domestic extraction of coal, gas and oil, in energy terms.
Power plants in Brazil
The 2,360 power plants recorded in Brazil add up to 147.6 GW of capacity, 66% of it Hydro. The largest is Tucuruí at 8,535 MW. The database was last updated in 2021, so newer wind and solar farms and rooftop PV are under-represented.
Largest power plants
| # | Plant | Fuel | Capacity MW | Commissioned | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tucuruí | Hydro | 8,535 | 1984 | — |
| 2 | Itaipu (Parte Brasileira) | Hydro | 7,000 | 1989 | — |
| 3 | Jirau | Hydro | 3,750 | 2013 | — |
| 4 | Santo Antônio | Hydro | 3,568 | 2012 | — |
| 5 | Ilha Solteira | Hydro | 3,444 | 1973 | — |
| 6 | Belo Monte | Hydro | 3,328 | 2016 | — |
| 7 | Xingó | Hydro | 3,162 | 1994 | — |
| 8 | Paulo Afonso IV | Hydro | 2,462 | 1979 | — |
| 9 | Itumbiara | Hydro | 2,081 | 1980 | — |
| 10 | Teles Pires | Hydro | 1,820 | 2015 | — |
| 11 | São Simão | Hydro | 1,710 | 1978 | — |
| 12 | Governador Bento Munhoz da Rocha Neto (Foz do Areia) | Hydro | 1,676 | 1980 | — |
| 13 | Jupiá (Eng° Souza Dias) | Hydro | 1,551 | 1969 | — |
| 14 | Porto Primavera (Eng° Sérgio Motta) | Hydro | 1,540 | 1999 | — |
| 15 | Luiz Gonzaga (Itaparica) | Hydro | 1,480 | 1988 | — |
Source: WRI Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0). Explore all 2,360 plants on the interactive power plant map.
Solar & wind farms: Brazil
3,711 utility-scale facilities tracked by Global Energy Monitor (2026): 23.3 GW of solar and 34.9 GW of wind operating, plus 406 GW under construction or planned.
How does Brazil compare?
Brazil next to 6 neighbouring countries, plus regional and world averages. Click a column to sort; use “Compare” for full side-by-side charts.
| Country | Renewable % | Low-carbon % | Fossil % | gCO₂/kWh | kWh / person | Generation TWh | Mix | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 86.6% | 88.7% | 11.3% | 110 | 3,527 | 751 | — | |
| Bolivia | 36.1% | 36.1% | 63.9% | 481 | 1,083 | 13.6 | Compare | |
| Paraguay | 100% | 100% | 0% | 25 | 6,467 | 45.4 | Compare | |
| Peru | 63.7% | 63.7% | 36.4% | 238 | 1,748 | 60.4 | Compare | |
| Venezuela | 91.1% | 91.1% | 8.9% | 86 | 2,821 | 80.1 | Compare | |
| Colombia | 77% | 77% | 23% | 187 | 1,691 | 90.4 | Compare | |
| Argentina | 34.6% | 41.6% | 58.4% | 346 | 3,340 | 153 | Compare | |
| South America average | 76.8% | 78.8% | 21.2% | 167 | 3,031 | 1,321 | Compare | |
| World average | 33.8% | 42.6% | 57.4% | 458 | 3,860 | 31,772 | Compare |
Calculators for Brazil
Brazil energy: frequently asked questions
What percentage of electricity in Brazil is renewable?
What is the main source of electricity in Brazil?
How clean is the electricity in Brazil?
Does Brazil use nuclear power?
How much electricity does Brazil use per person?
How much solar power does Brazil produce?
Does Brazil import electricity?
More countries in South America
Sources & references
- Our World in Data: Energy dataset (CC BY 4.0) — compiled from the sources below
- Ember: Yearly Electricity Data — generation, shares, carbon intensity
- Energy Institute: Statistical Review of World Energy — primary energy, fossil production
- U.S. Energy Information Administration: International Energy Data — gap-filling for smaller countries
- World Resources Institute: Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0) — power plant locations and capacity
Electricity data: Ember and Energy Institute Statistical Review via Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0); latest year 2025. Power plants: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). Rankings exclude systems under 1 TWh and values older than 2020. Figures may be revised by the original publishers.