Electricity in Greece - statistics & facts
In 2023, renewable electricity generation in Greece overtook fossil fuel generation for the first time. This resulted in the country reaching part of its national climate objective of having an 80 percent share of renewables in gross electricity consumption by 2030. The production of coal in Greece also fell to a record low of 0.05 exajoules and was not consumed for 28 consecutive days that same year. As of 2022, electricity generation in Greece stood at 53 terawatt hours of electricity, making the country rank 15th in electricity production in Europe.
Household and non-household electricity prices in Greece have remained well above 2020 prices in the past few years, with households paying 23 euro cents per kilowatt-hour in 2023 compared to the non-household price of 16 euro cents per kilowatt-hour. Accordingly, per capita consumption of electricity in Greece has been declining in Greece since 2010, reaching just over 4.5 megawatt-hours per capita in 2022.
However, fossil fuel sources of electricity generation in Greece have also increased, with natural gas electricity production rising from 5.9 terawatt-hours in 2000 to 15.7 terawatt-hours in 2023. Sites for exploratory drilling of natural gas in Greece are planned for 2025, with 157 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund going towards a new independent natural gas system in Alexandropoulos. Greece has pushed forward plans to phase out lignite-fired power plants to 2026, the year the country will cease to burn the fossil fuel.
Electricity production and prices in Greece
Total electricity generation in Greece has decreased slightly since 2021, having fallen by 4.9 terawatt-hours between then and 2023. Meanwhile, the country’s electricity production from fossil fuels also decreased between 2020 and 2023, amounting to a total of 24.6 terawatt-hours in the latter year from 29.6 in the former year. In contrast, electricity generated from renewable energy sources steadily increased during those years.Household and non-household electricity prices in Greece have remained well above 2020 prices in the past few years, with households paying 23 euro cents per kilowatt-hour in 2023 compared to the non-household price of 16 euro cents per kilowatt-hour. Accordingly, per capita consumption of electricity in Greece has been declining in Greece since 2010, reaching just over 4.5 megawatt-hours per capita in 2022.
Greece’s electricity future in renewables
Going forward, Greece’s electricity sector stands to benefit from the abundance of renewable energy sources that have yet to be tapped into fully. In 2023, wind production in Greece became the largest renewable energy source, having accounted for a 22 percent share of the country’s electricity generation. The output from wind energy in 2023 was 10.9 terawatt-hours and the country plans to increase this to over 15 gigawatts by 2030 through a series of new wind projects. With high production potential through an abundance of irradiation area, investment in solar PV in Greece is also one of the highest ranked opportunities in renewables worldwide. The country plans to increase solar PV capacity, connecting another 12.4 gigawatts to the grid by 2030.However, fossil fuel sources of electricity generation in Greece have also increased, with natural gas electricity production rising from 5.9 terawatt-hours in 2000 to 15.7 terawatt-hours in 2023. Sites for exploratory drilling of natural gas in Greece are planned for 2025, with 157 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund going towards a new independent natural gas system in Alexandropoulos. Greece has pushed forward plans to phase out lignite-fired power plants to 2026, the year the country will cease to burn the fossil fuel.
