Costa Rica's energy mix and electricity

🇨🇷 In 2025, Costa Rica generated 12.8 TWh of electricity. The largest source was hydro at 75%, followed by wind (12%) and geothermal (12%). In total, 100% came from low-carbon sources (nuclear and renewables) and 0% from fossil fuels.

On average, each kilowatt hour produced about 24 grams of carbon dioxide (CO₂), far below the world average of 458 grams in 2025. That makes Costa Rica the 3rd cleanest of 158 countries that generate at least 1 TWh a year.

Electricity demand was 12.4 TWh. Costa Rica exported 0.36 TWh more electricity than it imported.

Since 2000, electricity generation has grown by 87%, from 6.86 TWh. The low-carbon share went from 99% to 101%. The biggest rise was in wind, from 3% to 12% of generation. The biggest fall was in hydro, from 82% to 75%.

Live, hour-by-hour figures for Costa Rica are not connected yet. The dashboard shows its yearly figures, energy mix since 2000 and interconnector trade.

Energy mix in 2025

Hydro 75%
Wind 12%
Geothermal 12%
Solar 0.7%
Bioenergy 0.5%

Source	Share	Generated
Hydro	75%	9.57 TWh
Wind	12%	1.55 TWh
Geothermal	12%	1.52 TWh
Solar	0.7%	0.09 TWh
Bioenergy	0.5%	0.06 TWh

Energy security score

85out of 100

Strong. Costa Rica ranks 6th of 158 countries and 5th of 29 in Americas. The score shows how well a country could keep electricity affordable and on if fuel supplies were disrupted. It is based on 4 of the 5 measures.

Measure	Score
Produces its own energy No reliable figure exists for Costa Rica, so this measure is left out and the other four count for more.	n/a
Variety of power sources How evenly generation is spread across nine sources. The largest, hydro, made 75%.	46
Little reliance on imported power Costa Rica exported more electricity than it imported, so it scores full marks.	100
Low-carbon power Nuclear and renewables made 100% of generation.	100
Low gas and oil use Gas and oil made 0% of generation; the score is 100 minus that share.	100

The five measures are weighted 30%, 20%, 20%, 15% and 15%. How the score works.

How it has changed

Year	Generated	Low-carbon	Fossil	CO₂ g/kWh
2000	6.86 TWh	99%	1%	31
2005	8.19 TWh	96%	3%	48
2010	9.51 TWh	94%	7%	69
2015	10.8 TWh	99%	1%	33
2020	11.7 TWh	101%	0%	27
2024	11.0 TWh	101%	0%	25
2025	12.8 TWh	101%	0%	24

Questions about Costa Rica's energy

What is Costa Rica's energy mix?

In 2025, Costa Rica's electricity came from hydro 75%, wind 12%, geothermal 12% and solar 0.7%.

How much of Costa Rica's electricity is renewable?

100% of its electricity came from renewables in 2025 (hydro 75%, wind 12%, geothermal 12% and solar 0.7%).

What is Costa Rica's main source of electricity?

Hydro, which made 75% of its electricity in 2025.

How clean is Costa Rica's electricity?

About 24 grams of CO₂ for each kilowatt hour in 2025, far below the world average of 458 grams. It ranks 3rd cleanest of 158 countries that generate at least 1 TWh a year.

Does Costa Rica import electricity?

It is a net exporter: in 2025 it exported 0.36 TWh more electricity than it imported.

How secure is Costa Rica's energy supply?

Global Grid's energy security score for Costa Rica is 85 out of 100 (strong), 6th of 158 countries. It looks at how much of its own energy it produces, how varied its power sources are, its reliance on imported power and its use of low-carbon power, gas and oil.

Other countries in Latin America and Caribbean

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Sources: Ember yearly electricity data (CC BY 4.0), figures up to 2025. Ember's latest-year figures are first estimates and may be revised. TWh: terawatt hours (one billion kWh).