Electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in Canada
Canada: Electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal was 61.65 terawatt-hours in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in Canada, 1990–2025
Source: Ember (2026); Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Pinto et al. (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in terawatt-hours.
Analysis
The most recent figure for electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in Canada is 61.65 terawatt-hours, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is up 9.6% on the previous year and up 106.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in Canada peaked at 61.65 terawatt-hours in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0019 terawatt-hours, in 1990.
Canada ranks 14th of 212 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in Canada, year by year
| Year | terawatt-hours | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.0019 terawatt-hours | — |
| 1991 | 0.0019 terawatt-hours | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.0611 terawatt-hours | +3081.2% |
| 1993 | 0.0611 terawatt-hours | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.0611 terawatt-hours | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 0.0628 terawatt-hours | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 0.0679 terawatt-hours | +8.0% |
| 1997 | 0.0689 terawatt-hours | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 0.0721 terawatt-hours | +4.6% |
| 1999 | 0.1753 terawatt-hours | +143.1% |
| 2000 | 0.28 terawatt-hours | +59.8% |
| 2001 | 0.35 terawatt-hours | +25.0% |
| 2002 | 0.43 terawatt-hours | +22.9% |
| 2003 | 0.71 terawatt-hours | +65.1% |
| 2004 | 0.95 terawatt-hours | +33.8% |
| 2005 | 1.59 terawatt-hours | +67.4% |
| 2006 | 2.49 terawatt-hours | +56.6% |
| 2007 | 3.04 terawatt-hours | +22.1% |
| 2008 | 3.83 terawatt-hours | +26.0% |
| 2009 | 6.75 terawatt-hours | +76.2% |
| 2010 | 8.98 terawatt-hours | +33.0% |
| 2011 | 10.76 terawatt-hours | +19.8% |
| 2012 | 12.19 terawatt-hours | +13.3% |
| 2013 | 12.65 terawatt-hours | +3.8% |
| 2014 | 14.94 terawatt-hours | +18.1% |
| 2015 | 29.86 terawatt-hours | +99.9% |
| 2016 | 33.94 terawatt-hours | +13.7% |
| 2017 | 34.82 terawatt-hours | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 36.96 terawatt-hours | +6.1% |
| 2019 | 36.63 terawatt-hours | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 39.83 terawatt-hours | +8.7% |
| 2021 | 42.41 terawatt-hours | +6.5% |
| 2022 | 45.22 terawatt-hours | +6.6% |
| 2023 | 48.91 terawatt-hours | +8.2% |
| 2024 | 56.25 terawatt-hours | +15.0% |
| 2025 | 61.65 terawatt-hours | +9.6% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 61.65 terawatt-hours is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.15 terawatt-hours, 28.7× the median. (75 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in Canada changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | +3081.2% | 0.0019 terawatt-hours | 0.0611 terawatt-hours |
| 1999 | +143.1% | 0.0721 terawatt-hours | 0.1753 terawatt-hours |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.0634 terawatt-hours | 0.0019 terawatt-hours | 0.1753 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.04 terawatt-hours | 0.28 terawatt-hours | 6.75 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.17 terawatt-hours | 8.98 terawatt-hours | 36.96 terawatt-hours | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.04 terawatt-hours | 39.83 terawatt-hours | 61.65 terawatt-hours | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More energy & mining data for Canada
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 1.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0.0001 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 6.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in Canada?
- Electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal in Canada was 61.65 terawatt-hours in 2025, according to Ember (2026); Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Pinto et al. (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 61.65 terawatt-hours in 2025.
- What is the lowest electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0019 terawatt-hours in 1990.
- How does Canada rank for electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal?
- Canada ranks 14th out of 212 countries with data for 2025.
- Is electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 106.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Ember (2026); Energy Institute – Statistical Review of World Energy (2026); Pinto et al. (2023) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Electricity generation from solar and wind compared to coal. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in terawatt-hours.