El Salvador energy mix & electricity
Electricity generation in El Salvador reached 6.5 TWh in 2025. The mix is unusually balanced. hydropower leads with just 30.3%, closely followed by geothermal and other renewables (20.7%) and solar power (20.3%).
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 | 1.96 | 30.3% | +7 |
| Other renewables | 1.34 | 20.7% | −4.6 |
| Solar | 1.31 | 20.3% | +20.1 |
| Oil | 0.87 | 13.5% | −28.2 |
| Bioenergy | 0.78 | 12.1% | +2.7 |
| Wind | 0.2 | 3.1% | — |
| Total | 6.46 | 100% |
El Salvador: electricity in context
Electricity generation in El Salvador reached 6.5 TWh in 2025. That puts it in the same league as Latvia. The mix is unusually balanced. hydropower leads with just 30.3%, closely followed by geothermal and other renewables (20.7%) and solar power (20.3%).
86.5% of the country’s power came from renewable sources: 22nd of 158 countries (in the top quarter). That is 53 points above the world average of 33.8%. It is also above the average for North America (28.8%). Generating one kWh emits about 139 g CO₂e here (world average: 458 g). By world standards this is a very clean grid. In the cleanest-grid ranking, El Salvador is 32nd of 158.
Over the past decade solar power added more generation than any other source (+1.3 TWh since 2015, plus 20.1 percentage points of share). Meanwhile oil lost the most ground, down 1.7 TWh. The net effect: renewables gained 28.2 percentage points of share since 2015. Total generation grew by 390 GWh over the same period. Carbon intensity dropped from 308 to 139 g/kWh, a 55% cut.
Solar (20.3%) and wind (3.1%) now add up to 23.4% of generation; the global figure is 17.3%. Per person, that is 206 kWh of solar electricity a year, versus a global average of 338 kWh. Solar first passed 1% of the mix in 2017.
Generation per person is 1,015 kWh a year, 26% of the world average of 3,860 kWh. More power leaves the country than arrives: a net 190 GWh of exports, equal to 3% of domestic demand.
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
El Salvador against the world and North America averages.
Power plants in El Salvador
The 16 power plants recorded in El Salvador add up to 1.4 GW of capacity, 33% of it Oil. The largest is Acajutla Thermal Power Plant El Salvador at 324 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 | Acajutla Thermal Power Plant El Salvador | Oil | 324 | — | — |
| 2 | 15 de Septiembre Hydroelectric Power Plant El Salvador | Hydro | 180 | — | — |
| 3 | Cerron Grande Hydroelectric Power Plant El Salvador | Hydro | 170 | — | — |
| 4 | Nejapa IC Power Plant El Salvador | Oil | 151 | — | — |
| 5 | Berlin Geothermal Power Plant El Salvador | Geothermal | 109 | — | — |
| 6 | Providencia | Solar | 101 | — | — |
| 7 | Cinco de Noviembre Hydroelectric Power Plant El Salvador | Hydro | 99 | — | — |
| 8 | Ahuachapan Geothermal Power Plant El Salvador | Geothermal | 95 | — | — |
| 9 | Antares | Solar | 76 | — | — |
| 10 | Spica | Solar | 25 | — | — |
| 11 | Los Remedios | Solar | 20 | — | — |
| 12 | Guajoyo Hydroelectric Power Plant El Salvador | Hydro | 20 | — | — |
| 13 | Trinidad / Marquez | Solar | 18 | — | — |
| 14 | El Carmen | Solar | 10 | — | — |
| 15 | La Union | Solar | 10 | — | — |
Source: WRI Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0). Explore all 16 plants on the interactive power plant map.
Solar & wind farms: El Salvador
74 utility-scale facilities tracked by Global Energy Monitor (2026): 808 MW of solar and 54 MW of wind operating, plus 121 MW under construction or planned.
See them on the mapLargest solar & wind farms: El Salvador →
How does El Salvador compare?
El Salvador 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Salvador | 86.5% | 86.5% | 13.5% | 139 | 1,015 | 6.5 | — | |
| Guatemala | 68.3% | 68.3% | 31.7% | 301 | 858 | 15.8 | Compare | |
| Honduras | 55.4% | 55.4% | 44.6% | 322 | 1,153 | 12.5 | Compare | |
| Belize | 87.2% | 87.2% | 12.8% | 170 | 1,127 | 0.5 | Compare | |
| Nicaragua | 62.4% | 62.4% | 37.6% | 301 | 654 | 4.5 | Compare | |
| Costa Rica | 100% | 100% | 0% | 24 | 2,486 | 12.8 | Compare | |
| Cayman Islands | 4.2% | 4.2% | 95.8% | 634 | 9,533 | 0.7 | 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 El Salvador
El Salvador energy: frequently asked questions
What percentage of electricity in El Salvador is renewable?
What is the main source of electricity in El Salvador?
How clean is the electricity in El Salvador?
How much electricity does El Salvador use per person?
How much solar power does El Salvador produce?
Does El Salvador import electricity?
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 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.