Country energy profile · Eastern Asia · latest data 2025

Japan energy mix & electricity

Electricity generation in Japan reached 1.03 PWh in 2025. Natural gas is the largest source at 32.8%, ahead of coal (32.1%) and solar power (9.8%).

Gas 32.8%Coal 32.1%Solar 9.8%Nuclear 9.1%Hydro 7.2%Bioenergy 5.3%Oil 2.5%Wind 1.2%

Renewable electricity

23.6%

32.7% low-carbon incl. nuclear

#102 of 158

Carbon intensity

477g/kWh

World 458 g

#91 of 158 cleanest

Electricity per person

8,366kWh

World 3,860 kWh

#24 of 158

Generation

1,030TWh

−200 GWh vs 2015

#5 of 213

Net exports

0TWh

0% of demand

Electricity generation by source in 2025

Share of electricity generation by source, with the change in percentage points over the last ten years.

Japan electricity mix 2025

Source	TWh	Share	10-yr Δ pp
Gas	338	32.8%	−7.8
Coal	330	32.1%	−1.9
Solar	101	9.8%	+6.5
Nuclear	94.09	9.1%	+8.7
Hydro	73.9	7.2%	−1.2
Bioenergy	54.92	5.3%	+2.6
Oil	25.39	2.5%	−7.7
Wind	12.85	1.2%	+0.7
Total	1,030	100%

Japan: electricity in context

Electricity generation in Japan reached 1.03 PWh in 2025. That is about 3.2% of the world total, similar to Russia. Natural gas is the largest source at 32.8%, ahead of coal (32.1%) and solar power (9.8%).

Renewables supplied 23.6% of the electricity, which ranks Japan 102nd of 158 countries. This puts it 10 points below the world average of 33.8%. It is also below the average for Asia (27.3%). Because nuclear contributes another 9.1%, the low-carbon share is considerably higher, at 32.7%. Each kilowatt-hour emitted on average 477 g CO₂e, against a world average of 458 g. The grid is more carbon-intensive than the world average. On carbon intensity, Japan ranks 91st of 158 from the cleanest.

Since 2015, the fastest-growing source has been nuclear power: its output rose by 89.6 TWh, lifting its share by 8.7 percentage points. Meanwhile natural gas lost the most ground, down 79.9 TWh. Taken together, the renewable share rose by 8.6 percentage points over the decade. Total generation shrank by 200 GWh over the same period. Carbon intensity dropped from 578 to 477 g/kWh, a 17% cut.

Coal supplies 32.1% of electricity. That is 1.9 percentage points less than in 2015.

Wind and solar together provided 11.1% of electricity (solar 9.8%, wind 1.2%), compared with 17.3% worldwide. Per person, that is 821 kWh of solar electricity a year, 2.4× the global average. In solar electricity per person, Japan ranks 22nd in the world. Wind adds 104 kWh per person. Solar first passed 1% of the mix in 2013.

Japan generates 8,366 kWh of electricity per resident each year, 2.2 times the global average. Japan 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 1985. Switch to shares to see the structural shift independent of demand growth.

Electricity generation by source, 1985–2025

Renewables and carbon intensity

Japan against the world and Asia averages.

Renewable share of electricity (%)

Carbon intensity (g CO₂e/kWh)

Solar and wind share of electricity since 2000 (%)

Total energy: beyond electricity

Primary energy covers transport, heating and industry too. Renewables supply 12.7% of primary energy and fossil fuels 83% (2024). Per person, that is 38,745 kWh a year (world: 21,654).

Primary energy consumption by source (TWh)

Substitution method: non-fossil electricity is converted to the primary energy a fossil plant would have needed.

Fossil fuel production (TWh)

Domestic extraction of coal, gas and oil, in energy terms.

Power plants in Japan

The WRI Global Power Plant Database lists 522 utility-scale plants in Japan with a combined capacity of 215.4 GW. Gas plants account for the largest slice (25% of listed capacity). The biggest single plant is Kashiwazaki Kariwa (8,212 MW, Nuclear). The database was last updated in 2021, so newer wind and solar farms and rooftop PV are under-represented.

Listed capacity by fuel (MW)

Map of the largest plants loads when you scroll here…

Largest power plants

#	Plant	Fuel	Capacity MW	Commissioned	Owner
1	Kashiwazaki Kariwa	Nuclear	8,212	—	Tokyo
2	Futtsu	Gas	5,040	—	Tokyo
3	Higashi Niigata	Gas	4,810	—	Tohoku
4	Kawagoe	Gas	4,802	—	Chubu
5	Ohi	Nuclear	4,710	—	Kansai
6	Fukushima Daina	Nuclear	4,400	—	Tokyo
7	Hirono	Oil	4,400	—	Tokyo
8	Kashima	Oil	4,400	—	Tokyo
9	Hekinan power station	Coal	4,100	1997	Chubu Electric Power Co Inc
10	Chita	Oil	3,966	—	Chubu
11	Hamaoka	Nuclear	3,617	—	Chubu
12	Anegasaki	Oil	3,600	—	Tokyo
13	Sodegaura	Gas	3,600	—	Tokyo
14	Genkai	Nuclear	3,478	—	Kyushu
15	Takahama	Nuclear	3,392	—	Kansai

Source: WRI Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0). Explore all 522 plants on the interactive power plant map.

Solar & wind farms: Japan

11,031 utility-scale facilities tracked by Global Energy Monitor (2026): 35.1 GW of solar and 5.3 GW of wind operating, plus 43.1 GW under construction or planned.

See them on the map Largest solar & wind farms: Japan →

How does Japan compare?

Japan 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
Japan	23.6%	32.7%	67.3%	477	8,366	1,030	—
South Korea	10.4%	40%	60%	417	12,090	625	Compare
North Korea	63.4%	63.4%	36.6%	341	1,023	27.1	Compare
Taiwan	12.2%	13.4%	86.6%	633	12,478	288	Compare
Guam	8.6%	8.6%	91.4%	608	11,085	1.9	Compare
Hong Kong	1%	1%	99%	675	5,049	37.4	Compare
Macau	30.8%	30.8%	69.2%	474	1,083	0.8	Compare
Asia average	27.3%	32.1%	67.9%	573	3,749	18,015	Compare
World average	33.8%	42.6%	57.4%	458	3,860	31,772	Compare

Calculators for Japan

Solar panel outputHow much a rooftop PV system would produce in Tokyo, using NASA weather data.Prefilled for Tokyo →Wind turbine energyAnnual energy and capacity factor of a turbine near Tokyo.Prefilled for Tokyo →Electricity CO₂Emissions of your electricity use. The grid here averages 477 g/kWh.Calculate emissions →Compare countriesPut Japan side by side with South Korea or up to three others.Open comparator →

Japan energy: frequently asked questions

What percentage of electricity in Japan is renewable?

In 2025, 23.6% of the electricity in Japan came from renewable sources (solar 9.8%, hydro 7.2%, bioenergy 5.3%, and wind 1.2%). The world average is 33.8%. Japan ranks 102nd of 158 countries; see the full ranking.

What is the main source of electricity in Japan?

Natural gas is the largest source of electricity in Japan, providing 32.8% of generation in 2025, followed by coal (32.1%) and solar power (9.8%).

How clean is the electricity in Japan?

Electricity in Japan has a carbon intensity of about 477 g CO₂-equivalent per kWh (2025), against a world average of 458 g/kWh. That is fairly carbon-intensive. Charging an electric car that uses 15 kWh/100 km therefore emits around 72 g CO₂e per km from electricity.

Does Japan use nuclear power?

Yes. Nuclear reactors generated 94.1 TWh in 2025, 9.1% of the electricity in Japan. That is the 23rd-highest nuclear share among the 32 countries that operate reactors.

How much electricity does Japan use per person?

Japan generates about 8,366 kWh of electricity per person per year (2025), compared with a world average of 3,860 kWh. Including all fuels for transport, heating and industry, primary energy use is about 38,745 kWh per person.

How much solar power does Japan produce?

Solar panels produced 101 TWh in 2025, 9.8% of the electricity in Japan. The solar share is up 6.5 percentage points in ten years. You can estimate what a rooftop system would produce at your address with our solar panel calculator.

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.