Colombia energy mix & electricity
Power plants in Colombia produced 90.4 TWh of electricity in 2025. More than half of it, 69.2%, came from hydropower; natural gas was a distant second with 13.8%.
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 | 62.5 | 69.2% | +7.7 |
| Gas | 12.43 | 13.8% | −9.3 |
| Coal | 5.53 | 6.1% | −2.9 |
| Solar | 4.6 | 5.1% | +5.1 |
| Oil | 2.8 | 3.1% | −1.5 |
| Bioenergy | 2.35 | 2.6% | +0.8 |
| Wind | 0.15 | 0.2% | +0.1 |
| Total | 90.36 | 100% |
Colombia: electricity in context
Power plants in Colombia produced 90.4 TWh of electricity in 2025. That is similar to Chile. More than half of it, 69.2%, came from hydropower; natural gas was a distant second with 13.8%.
77% of the country’s power came from renewable sources: 31st of 158 countries (in the top quarter). This puts it 43 points above the world average of 33.8%. It is also above the average for South America (76.8%). Generating one kWh emits about 187 g CO₂e here (world average: 458 g). The grid is comfortably cleaner than the world average. On carbon intensity, Colombia ranks 44th of 158 from the cleanest.
The decade’s big winner is hydropower, up 14.6 TWh between 2015 and 2025 (plus 7.7 percentage points of the mix). Meanwhile natural gas lost the most ground, down 5.5 TWh. Taken together, the renewable share rose by 13.7 percentage points over the decade. Total generation grew by 12.4 TWh over the same period. Carbon intensity dropped from 275 to 187 g/kWh, a 32% cut.
Coal supplies 6.1% of electricity. That is 2.9 percentage points less than in 2015. The peak was 12.6% in 2024.
Wind and solar together provided 5.3% of electricity (solar 5.1%, wind 0.2%), compared with 17.3% worldwide. Per person, that is 86 kWh of solar electricity a year, versus a global average of 338 kWh. Solar first passed 1% of the mix in 2023.
Colombia generates 1,691 kWh of electricity per resident each year, 44% of the global average. Cross-border trade is roughly balanced.
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
Colombia against the world and South America averages.
Total energy: beyond electricity
Primary energy covers transport, heating and industry too. Renewables supply 26.1% of primary energy and fossil fuels 73.9% (2024). Per person, that is 11,645 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 Colombia
The WRI Global Power Plant Database lists 25 utility-scale plants in Colombia with a combined capacity of 10.9 GW. Hydro plants account for the largest slice (61% of listed capacity). The biggest single plant is San Carlos (1,246 MW, Hydro). 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 | San Carlos | Hydro | 1,246 | — | Isagen S.A. |
| 2 | Gavio | Hydro | 1,200 | — | Emgesa |
| 3 | Chivor | Hydro | 1,000 | — | AES Chivor |
| 4 | Termobarranquilla | Gas | 918 | — | TEBSA |
| 5 | Sogamoso | Hydro | 820 | — | Isagen S.A. |
| 6 | Termoflores | Gas | 670 | — | Termoflores S.A.E.S.P |
| 7 | Porce III | Hydro | 660 | — | EPM |
| 8 | Central Guatapé | Hydro | 560 | — | EPM |
| 9 | La Sierra | Gas | 460 | — | EPM |
| 10 | Miel I | Hydro | 396 | — | Isagen S.A. |
| 11 | Termopaipa power station | Coal | 346 | 1987 | Empresa de Energía de Boyacá |
| 12 | Termoguajira power station | Coal | 330 | 1985 | Gecelca SAESP |
| 13 | Termotasajero power station | Coal | 323 | 2000 | Termotasajero SAESP |
| 14 | Cantral La Tasajera | Hydro | 306 | — | EPM |
| 15 | Termocentro | Gas | 300 | — | Isagen S.A. |
Source: WRI Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0). Explore all 25 plants on the interactive power plant map.
Solar & wind farms: Colombia
717 utility-scale facilities tracked by Global Energy Monitor (2026): 2.4 GW of solar and 90 MW of wind operating, plus 33.9 GW under construction or planned.
How does Colombia compare?
Colombia 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | 77% | 77% | 23% | 187 | 1,691 | 90.4 | — | |
| Brazil | 86.6% | 88.7% | 11.3% | 110 | 3,527 | 751 | Compare | |
| Venezuela | 91.1% | 91.1% | 8.9% | 86 | 2,821 | 80.1 | Compare | |
| Peru | 63.7% | 63.7% | 36.4% | 238 | 1,748 | 60.4 | Compare | |
| Ecuador | 79.4% | 79.4% | 20.6% | 159 | 2,001 | 36.6 | Compare | |
| Panama | 68% | 68% | 32% | 221 | 2,974 | 13.4 | Compare | |
| Aruba | 17% | 17% | 83% | 550 | 9,253 | 1 | 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 Colombia
Colombia energy: frequently asked questions
What percentage of electricity in Colombia is renewable?
What is the main source of electricity in Colombia?
How clean is the electricity in Colombia?
Does Colombia have nuclear power?
How much electricity does Colombia use per person?
How much solar power does Colombia produce?
Does Colombia 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.