Russia energy mix & electricity
Power plants in Russia produced 1.19 PWh of electricity in 2025. Natural gas is the largest source at 44.7%, ahead of coal (18.4%) and nuclear power (18.3%).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas | 533 | 44.7% | −4.9 |
| Coal | 220 | 18.4% | +3.6 |
| Nuclear | 219 | 18.3% | 0 |
| Hydro | 200 | 16.7% | +1 |
| Oil | 14.47 | 1.2% | −0.2 |
| Wind | 3.64 | 0.3% | +0.3 |
| Solar | 2.84 | 0.2% | +0.2 |
| Bioenergy | 0.77 | 0.1% | 0 |
| Total | 1,193 | 100% |
Russia: electricity in context
Power plants in Russia produced 1.19 PWh of electricity in 2025. That is about 3.8% of the world total, similar to Japan. Natural gas is the largest source at 44.7%, ahead of coal (18.4%) and nuclear power (18.3%).
Renewables supplied 17.4% of the electricity, which ranks Russia 114th of 158 countries. This puts it 16 points below the world average of 33.8%. It is also below the average for Europe (41.6%). Because nuclear contributes another 18.3%, the low-carbon share is considerably higher, at 35.7%. The carbon intensity of electricity is 450 g CO₂e/kWh; the global average is 458 g/kWh. That makes the grid somewhat cleaner than the world average. On carbon intensity, Russia ranks 84th of 158 from the cleanest.
Over the past decade coal added more generation than any other source (+61 TWh since 2015, plus 3.6 percentage points of share). Taken together, the renewable share rose by 1.5 percentage points over the decade. Total generation grew by 125 TWh over the same period.
Against the global trend, coal’s share has risen by 3.6 percentage points in ten years, to 18.4%.
Wind and solar remain marginal in Russia, together supplying under 1% of electricity.
Russia generates 8,283 kWh of electricity per resident each year, 2.1 times the global average. Cross-border trade is roughly balanced.
How the power mix has changed
Electricity generation by source since 1985. Switch to shares to see the structural shift independent of demand growth.
Renewables and carbon intensity
Russia against the world and Europe averages.
Total energy: beyond electricity
Primary energy covers transport, heating and industry too. Renewables supply 6% of primary energy and fossil fuels 88.2% (2024). Per person, that is 62,485 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 Russia
The WRI Global Power Plant Database lists 545 utility-scale plants in Russia with a combined capacity of 228.2 GW. Gas plants account for the largest slice (47% of listed capacity). The biggest single plant is Surgutskaya GRES-2 (8,865 MW, Gas). 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 | Surgutskaya GRES-2 | Gas | 8,865 | 1979 | PJSC "Unipro" |
| 2 | Krasnoyarsk | Hydro | 6,000 | 1972 | JSC "Krasnoyarsk HPP" |
| 3 | CHP-23 | Gas | 5,690 | 1966 | PJSC "Mosenergo" |
| 4 | Bratsk HPP | Hydro | 4,500 | — | PJSC "IRKUTSKENERGO" |
| 5 | Balakovo NPP | Nuclear | 4,000 | — | JSC "Concern Rosenergoatom" |
| 6 | Kalinn NPP | Nuclear | 4,000 | — | JSC "Concern Rosenergoatom" |
| 7 | Kursk | Nuclear | 4,000 | — | JSC "Concern Rosenergoatom" |
| 8 | Leningrad NPP | Nuclear | 4,000 | — | JSC "Concern Rosenergoatom" |
| 9 | Rostov NPP | Nuclear | 4,000 | 2001 | Rosatom |
| 10 | Ust Illminsk (HPP) | Hydro | 3,840 | 1974 | PJSC "IRKUTSKENERGO" |
| 11 | Reftinskaya GRES | Coal | 3,800 | 1970 | PJSC "Enel Russia" |
| 12 | Krostromskaya | Gas | 3,600 | — | Inter RAO |
| 13 | Permskaya | Gas | 3,363 | 1986 | JSC INTER RAO-Electric Power Generation |
| 14 | Smolensk | Nuclear | 3,000 | — | JSC "Concern Rosenergoatom" |
| 15 | Boguchanskaya HPP | Hydro | 2,997 | 2012 | PJSC "RusHydro" |
Source: WRI Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0). Explore all 545 plants on the interactive power plant map.
Solar & wind farms: Russia
183 utility-scale facilities tracked by Global Energy Monitor (2026): 2.3 GW of solar and 2.6 GW of wind operating, plus 3.3 GW under construction or planned.
How does Russia compare?
Russia 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russia | 17.4% | 35.7% | 64.3% | 450 | 8,283 | 1,193 | — | |
| Kazakhstan | 14.9% | 14.9% | 85.1% | 805 | 5,934 | 124 | Compare | |
| China | 37% | 41.7% | 58.3% | 525 | 7,474 | 10,583 | Compare | |
| Finland | 56.5% | 96.3% | 3.7% | 57 | 14,635 | 82.3 | Compare | |
| Ukraine | 16.4% | 72.2% | 27.8% | 250 | 2,717 | 112 | Compare | |
| Norway | 99% | 99% | 1% | 28 | 28,598 | 161 | Compare | |
| Poland | 31.5% | 31.5% | 68.5% | 589 | 4,543 | 173 | Compare | |
| Europe average | 41.6% | 62% | 38% | 271 | 6,203 | 4,626 | Compare | |
| World average | 33.8% | 42.6% | 57.4% | 458 | 3,860 | 31,772 | Compare |
Calculators for Russia
Russia energy: frequently asked questions
What percentage of electricity in Russia is renewable?
What is the main source of electricity in Russia?
How clean is the electricity in Russia?
Does Russia use nuclear power?
How much electricity does Russia use per person?
How much solar power does Russia produce?
Does Russia import electricity?
More countries in Europe
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.