Paraguay reaches 100% renewable electricity, well above regional average

Paraguay reached a 100% renewable share in electricity generation in May 2026, leading the countries assessed by the Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization, Olacde.

The result comes as global electricity demand continues to rise. The International Energy Agency expects consumption to grow 3.6% in 2026 and 3.8% in 2027, compared with 3% in 2025. Industrial expansion, electric vehicles, air conditioning, heat pumps and rapidly growing data centers are driving the increase.

Latin America and the Caribbean produced 176 terawatt-hours of electricity in May, up 7.32% from April and 4.1% from May 2025. Hydropower remained the leading source at 43.4%, followed by natural gas at 24.4% and wind power at 11.6%. Oil products supplied 5.8%, solar 4.7%, bioenergy 3.8%, coal 3.4%, nuclear power 2.4% and geothermal energy 0.5%.

The region’s renewable share reached 64%, but hydropower output fell by 10 TWh from a year earlier because less water was available. Natural gas generation rose by 6 TWh and wind generation by 4.4 TWh, with coal and oil products also contributing more.

Costa Rica ranked second with a 96% renewable share, followed by Uruguay at 94%, Brazil at 89%, Colombia and Venezuela at 82%, Belize at 75%, Ecuador at 72% and Peru at 66%. Nine of the 27 member countries exceeded the regional average. For Paraguay, the next economic challenge is to turn its renewable power supply into investment, industrialization, employment and added value. That will require transmission and distribution networks able to support the expansion.