Cayman Islands energy mix & electricity
In 2024, the Cayman Islands generated 710 GWh of electricity. Oil provides 95.8% of it. Few countries depend so heavily on a single source.
The power system is very small (under 1 TWh a year), so it is not included in share-based world rankings. A single plant can change its mix dramatically from one year to the next.
Electricity generation by source in 2024
Share of electricity generation by source, with the change in percentage points over the last ten years.
| Source | TWh | Share | 10-yr Δ pp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil | 0.68 | 95.8% | −4.2 |
| Solar | 0.03 | 4.2% | +4.2 |
| Total | 0.71 | 100% |
Cayman Islands: electricity in context
In 2024, the Cayman Islands generated 710 GWh of electricity. That puts it in the same league as Togo. Oil provides 95.8% of it. Few countries depend so heavily on a single source.
The renewable share stood at 4.2%. That is 30 points below the world average of 33.8%. It is also below the average for North America (28.8%). The carbon intensity of electricity is 634 g CO₂e/kWh; the global average is 458 g/kWh. This is one of the more carbon-intensive grids in the world.
Since 2014, oil has added the most generation in absolute terms (+60 GWh), yet its share of the mix fell by 4.2 percentage points because other sources grew even faster. In share terms the biggest gainer was solar power (up 4.2 percentage points). The net effect: renewables gained 4.2 percentage points of share since 2014. Total generation grew by 90 GWh over the same period. Carbon intensity dropped from 661 to 634 g/kWh, a 4% cut.
Coal has essentially never been burned for electricity here: its share has stayed below 1% throughout the record.
Solar (4.2%) and wind (0%) now add up to 4.2% of generation; the global figure is 17.3%. Per person, that is 403 kWh of solar electricity a year, 1.2× the global average. Solar first passed 1% of the mix in 2017.
Generation per person is 9,533 kWh a year, 2.5× the world average of 3,860 kWh. The Cayman Islands does not trade electricity with other countries: the grid is not interconnected with any neighbour.
How the power mix has changed
Electricity generation by source since 2000. Switch to shares to see the structural shift independent of demand growth.
Renewables and carbon intensity
Cayman Islands against the world and North America averages.
Solar & wind farms: Cayman Islands
1 utility-scale facilities tracked by Global Energy Monitor (2026): 5 MW of solar and 0 MW of wind operating, plus 0 MW under construction or planned.
See them on the mapLargest solar & wind farms: Cayman Islands →
How does Cayman Islands compare?
Cayman Islands 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cayman Islands | 4.2% | 4.2% | 95.8% | 634 | 9,533 | 0.7 | — | |
| Cuba | 4% | 4% | 96% | 643 | 1,770 | 19.4 | Compare | |
| Jamaica | 12.6% | 12.6% | 87.4% | 563 | 1,733 | 4.9 | Compare | |
| Bahamas | 0.9% | 0.9% | 99.1% | 653 | 5,607 | 2.3 | Compare | |
| Honduras | 55.4% | 55.4% | 44.6% | 322 | 1,153 | 12.5 | Compare | |
| Haiti | 18.6% | 18.6% | 81.4% | 535 | 73 | 0.9 | Compare | |
| Nicaragua | 62.4% | 62.4% | 37.6% | 301 | 654 | 4.5 | Compare | |
| North America average | 28.8% | 44.7% | 55.3% | 369 | 9,025 | 5,534 | Compare | |
| World average | 33.8% | 42.6% | 57.4% | 458 | 3,860 | 31,772 | Compare |
Calculators for Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands energy: frequently asked questions
What percentage of electricity in the Cayman Islands is renewable?
What is the main source of electricity in the Cayman Islands?
How clean is the electricity in the Cayman Islands?
How much electricity does the Cayman Islands use per person?
How much solar power does the Cayman Islands produce?
More countries in North 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 2024. 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.