Switzerland energy mix & electricity
Power plants in Switzerland produced 65 TWh of electricity in 2025. More than half of it, 52.3%, came from hydropower; nuclear power was a distant second with 29.9%.
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 | 33.99 | 52.3% | −5.6 |
| Nuclear | 19.42 | 29.9% | −5.1 |
| Solar | 7.89 | 12.1% | +10.4 |
| Oil | 1.23 | 1.9% | 0 |
| Bioenergy | 1.04 | 1.6% | +0.8 |
| Other renewables | 1.04 | 1.6% | −0.1 |
| Gas | 0.27 | 0.4% | −0.5 |
| Wind | 0.14 | 0.2% | +0.1 |
| Total | 65.02 | 100% |
Switzerland: electricity in context
Power plants in Switzerland produced 65 TWh of electricity in 2025. That is similar to Peru. More than half of it, 52.3%, came from hydropower; nuclear power was a distant second with 29.9%.
Renewables supplied 67.8% of the electricity, which ranks Switzerland 42nd of 158 countries. This puts it 34 points above the world average of 33.8%. It is also above the average for Europe (41.6%). Because nuclear contributes another 29.9%, the low-carbon share is considerably higher, at 97.7%. Each kilowatt-hour emitted on average 39 g CO₂e, against a world average of 458 g. Few grids anywhere are this clean. On carbon intensity, Switzerland ranks 11th of 158 from the cleanest.
Over the past decade solar power added more generation than any other source (+6.8 TWh since 2015, plus 10.4 percentage points of share). Meanwhile hydropower lost the most ground, down 4.3 TWh. Taken together, the renewable share rose by 5.6 percentage points over the decade. Total generation shrank by 1.1 TWh over the same period.
Coal has never been part of the power mix in Switzerland in any meaningful way.
Wind and solar together provided 12.4% of electricity (solar 12.1%, wind 0.2%), compared with 17.3% worldwide. Per person, that is 880 kWh of solar electricity a year, 2.6× the global average. In solar electricity per person, Switzerland ranks 18th in the world. Solar first passed 1% of the mix in 2014.
Switzerland generates 7,251 kWh of electricity per resident each year, 1.9 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
Switzerland against the world and Europe averages.
Total energy: beyond electricity
Primary energy covers transport, heating and industry too. Renewables supply 39.9% of primary energy and fossil fuels 43.2% (2024). Per person, that is 38,026 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 Switzerland
The WRI Global Power Plant Database lists 168 utility-scale plants in Switzerland with a combined capacity of 13.1 GW. Hydro plants account for the largest slice (74% of listed capacity). The biggest single plant is Bieudron (1,285 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 | Bieudron | Hydro | 1,285 | 1999 | — |
| 2 | Kernkraftwerk Leibstadt | Nuclear | 1,245 | 1984 | Kernkraftwerk leibstadt AG |
| 3 | Kernkraftwerk Gösgen | Nuclear | 1,035 | 1979 | Kernkraftwerk Gösgen-Däniken AG |
| 4 | Limmern | Hydro | 1,000 | 2016 | — |
| 5 | Kernkraftwerk Beznau | Nuclear | 760 | — | Axpo AG |
| 6 | Nendaz | Hydro | 392 | 1960 | — |
| 7 | Kernkraftwerk Mühleberg | Nuclear | 390 | 1972 | BWK FMB Energie AG |
| 8 | Grimsel 2 | Hydro | 348 | 1981 | — |
| 9 | Bitsch (Biel) | Hydro | 340 | 1969 | — |
| 10 | Biasca | Hydro | 324 | 1959 | — |
| 11 | Fionnay (Dixence) | Hydro | 306 | 1957 | — |
| 12 | Pradella | Hydro | 300 | 1970 | — |
| 13 | Châtelard-Vallorcine | Hydro | 261 | 1978 | — |
| 14 | Riddes | Hydro | 258 | 1956 | — |
| 15 | Stalden (KWM) | Hydro | 185 | 1965 | — |
Source: WRI Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0). Explore all 168 plants on the interactive power plant map.
Solar & wind farms: Switzerland
93 utility-scale facilities tracked by Global Energy Monitor (2026): 97 MW of solar and 55 MW of wind operating, plus 714 MW under construction or planned.
See them on the mapLargest solar & wind farms: Switzerland →
How does Switzerland compare?
Switzerland 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 67.8% | 97.7% | 2.3% | 39 | 7,251 | 65 | — | |
| France | 26.1% | 94.9% | 5.1% | 41 | 8,552 | 570 | Compare | |
| Germany | 59.1% | 59.1% | 40.9% | 330 | 5,953 | 500 | Compare | |
| Italy | 48.8% | 48.8% | 51.2% | 285 | 4,475 | 265 | Compare | |
| Austria | 83.6% | 83.6% | 16.4% | 117 | 8,034 | 73.2 | Compare | |
| Luxembourg | 91.6% | 91.6% | 8.4% | 123 | 2,263 | 1.5 | Compare | |
| Belgium | 38.9% | 72% | 28% | 150 | 6,199 | 72.9 | 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 Switzerland
Switzerland energy: frequently asked questions
What percentage of electricity in Switzerland is renewable?
What is the main source of electricity in Switzerland?
How clean is the electricity in Switzerland?
Does Switzerland use nuclear power?
How much electricity does Switzerland use per person?
How much solar power does Switzerland produce?
Does Switzerland 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.