Over the past year, spanning from August 2024 to July 2025, Cyprus has seen its electricity heavily dominated by fossil fuels, specifically oil, which contributes over 74% of the total electricity generation. In essence, more than half of the electricity consumed is sourced from non-clean energy types, which is concerning given the negative impacts of fossil fuels such as climate change and air pollution. On the brighter side, clean energy contributes approximately 26% of the total electricity, with solar power making up almost a quarter of this share at about 22%, and wind power accounting for a smaller slice, around 3.5%. Despite the clear potential for cleaner energy sources like solar, there persists a significant reliance on fossil fuels, indicating a crucial need for strategic actions to enhance the clean energy contribution in Cyprus' electricity mix.
Is Electricity Growing in Cyprus?
When examining the growth of electricity consumption in Cyprus, there is an apparent decline. In 2025, the total electricity usage stands at 3706 kWh per person, which is a decrease of 1020 kWh per person from the historical peak in 2010. This downward trend is reflective of both an overall drop in consumption and a decrease in clean energy usage, as demonstrated by the latest figure of 959 kWh per person from low-carbon sources, which is 41 kWh less than the record set in 2024. Such declines are worrying since they could inhibit progress toward sustainable energy; an area where clean and increasing electricity access is vital to support development and modernization efforts, including the electrification of transport and adoption of AI technologies.
Suggestions
Cyprus could significantly benefit from prioritizing the expansion of its solar energy sector, as it holds great promise and already forms the bulk of its clean energy production. Learning from other successful regions can offer valuable insights into expanding low-carbon electricity generation. For instance, Denmark has successfully integrated wind energy, generating 57% of its electricity from this source. While nuclear energy has not played a role in Cyprus yet, countries such as France, commanding 69% of its electricity from nuclear, showcase its potential as a dependable and clean electricity source. By looking towards these examples, Cyprus could innovate and invest in both increasing its solar capacity and potentially exploring nuclear energy to make substantial and sustained improvements in its clean electricity generation.
History
The history of low-carbon electricity in Cyprus reflects a gradual but uneven progression primarily in solar energy, particularly in recent years. The early 2010s saw modest, sporadic growth in wind power, with minor gains and losses, such as a decrease of 0.1 TWh in 2014. In the late 2010s, there was a gradual shift toward solar power, evidenced by slight increases in different years, notably in 2020, 2021, and especially in 2024, with a 0.3 TWh rise in solar generation. These gains in solar output provide an optimistic view of the potential growth that solar energy can achieve. However, with wind and, notably, nuclear energy absent from this historical scope, Cyprus is yet to fully capitalize on all available clean energy opportunities, emphasizing the need for a concerted focus on diversified and robust clean energy development moving forward.
Electrification
We estimate the degree of electrification by comparing electricity and total energy emissions. More about methodology.