From June 2025 to May 2026, almost two-thirds of Peru’s electricity came from low-carbon sources, while just over a third came from fossil fuels. Hydropower dominated the electricity mix, supplying more than half of consumption, followed by wind at about 6% and solar at about 4%. Gas supplied nearly 36% of electricity, accounting for almost all fossil-fuel generation. Peru therefore has a strong clean electricity foundation, but expanding low-carbon generation would help reduce its substantial reliance on fossil fuels and their associated climate and air-pollution impacts.

Is Electricity Growing in Peru?

The latest 2026 figures show a mixed picture for electricity growth in Peru. Total electricity consumption reached about 1,800 kWh per person, roughly 70 kWh—or 4%—below the previous record of 1,869 kWh in 2024. This shortfall is concerning as electrification and growing digital infrastructure require more electricity, although being below the record does not necessarily establish a year-on-year decline. Encouragingly, low-carbon electricity generation reached a new high of about 1,144 kWh per person, narrowly surpassing the 2025 record of 1,135 kWh. That modest improvement is welcome, but faster clean electricity growth would better support future demand.

Suggestions

Peru should build on its hydropower foundation by accelerating solar and wind generation and considering a nuclear electricity programme. Nearby Chile offers a particularly relevant solar example, generating about a quarter of its electricity from solar, while Uruguay demonstrates wind’s potential with roughly a third of its electricity supplied by wind. The US state of Nevada also shows how solar can reach more than a third of electricity generation. For nuclear, France generates about two-thirds of its electricity from this clean source, while the United Arab Emirates generates about a fifth. Peru can learn from these regions’ deployment experience, strengthen transmission infrastructure, and develop the institutions and skilled workforce needed to expand solar, wind and nuclear electricity.

History

Historically, Peru’s low-carbon electricity growth has been driven mainly by hydropower. Generation increased by 1 TWh in 1981 and again in 1991, before a disappointing 1.8 TWh decline in 1992 was followed by gains totalling 3 TWh in 1993–1994. The 2000s brought substantial increases in 2000–2001 and 2006, interrupted by a 1 TWh setback in 2004. Growth continued through the 2010s, including an especially strong 4.9 TWh increase in 2017 and another 1.7 TWh in 2018. The early 2020s were uneven: hydropower fell in 2020 and 2022, with a partial recovery in 2021, before a strong 2.9 TWh increase in 2024. More recently, diversification has added welcome momentum, with wind generation rising by 1.5 TWh in 2024 and solar by 0.9 TWh in 2025.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

* 12M = Last 12 months (Jun 2025 – May 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.