Greenland energy mix & electricity
Electricity generation in Greenland reached 600 GWh in 2024. Hydropower dominates the mix with 78.3%, followed by oil at 16.7% and bioenergy at 5%.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 0.47 | 78.3% | −2.9 |
| Oil | 0.1 | 16.7% | −2.1 |
| Bioenergy | 0.03 | 5% | +5 |
| Total | 0.6 | 100% |
Greenland: electricity in context
Electricity generation in Greenland reached 600 GWh in 2024. That puts it in the same league as Bermuda. Hydropower dominates the mix with 78.3%, followed by oil at 16.7% and bioenergy at 5%.
Renewables supplied 83.3% of the electricity. That is 50 points above the world average of 33.8%. It is also above the average for North America (28.8%). Each kilowatt-hour emitted on average 150 g CO₂e, against a world average of 458 g. That makes the grid comfortably cleaner than the global average.
Since 2014, hydropower has added the most generation in absolute terms (+80 GWh), yet its share of the mix fell by 2.9 percentage points because other sources grew even faster. In share terms the biggest gainer was bioenergy (up 5 percentage points). The net effect: renewables gained 2.1 percentage points of share since 2014. Total generation grew by 120 GWh over the same period.
Coal has essentially never been burned for electricity here: its share has stayed below 1% throughout the record.
Wind and solar have barely started in Greenland: combined, they produce less than 1% of the power.
Generation per person is 10,740 kWh a year, 2.8× the world average of 3,860 kWh. Greenland 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
Greenland against the world and North America averages.
Solar & wind farms: Greenland
1 utility-scale facilities tracked by Global Energy Monitor (2026): 0 MW of solar and 0 MW of wind operating, plus 1.5 GW under construction or planned.
How does Greenland compare?
Greenland 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenland | 83.3% | 83.3% | 16.7% | 150 | 10,740 | 0.6 | — | |
| Iceland | 100% | 100% | 0% | 28 | 48,424 | 19.1 | Compare | |
| Faroe Islands | 46.9% | 46.9% | 53.1% | 347 | 8,952 | 0.5 | Compare | |
| Norway | 99% | 99% | 1% | 28 | 28,598 | 161 | Compare | |
| Sweden | 71.2% | 98.8% | 1.2% | 35 | 16,019 | 171 | Compare | |
| Ireland | 48.1% | 48.1% | 51.9% | 257 | 5,831 | 31 | Compare | |
| United Kingdom | 52% | 64.4% | 35.6% | 217 | 4,203 | 292 | 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 Greenland
Greenland energy: frequently asked questions
What percentage of electricity in Greenland is renewable?
What is the main source of electricity in Greenland?
How clean is the electricity in Greenland?
How much electricity does Greenland use per person?
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.