Solar power generation doubled in 2024

Correction on 2 July 2025 at 17:38: the term 'percentage points' was incorrectly used in part of the release and has been replaced with the symbol '%' where applicable.

Provisional Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) data show that electricity generation from solar power grew 2.2 times year-on-year, reaching 536 GWh in 2024. Moreover, while overall gross energy consumption¹ remained stable, electricity consumption in road transport showed an increase.

Hydropower, wind power and solar power plants generated a total of 4 022 GWh of electricity in 2024 – 6.5 % (282 GWh) fewer than in 2023. The volume generated from wind power remained largely unchanged at 276 GWh, while electricity generation from hydropower declined by 15.4 % year-on-year and fell to 3 210 GWh. Combined heat and power² plants³ generated an additional 621.3 GWh of electricity from renewable energy sources. The total volume of electricity produced from renewable sources amounted to 4 643 GWh, and the share of renewable energy made up 73 %.

Gross energy consumption remained stable

In 2024, gross energy consumption totalled 183 petajoules (PJ), representing a reduction of 1 PJ year-on-year, and final energy consumption⁴ totalled 166 PJ. The figures have not changed significantly over the past decade – gross consumption has decreased by 1.9 % and final consumption by 0.3 %.

Transport takes up smaller share of final consumption

With a decline of only 0.8 percentage points, final energy consumption changed only marginally in 2024. Moreover, the sectoral breakdown of consumption has remained broadly stable over the past decade. Transport sector was the largest energy consumer in 2024 – with 47 PJ consumed, it made up 28.4 % of final consumption. Households followed with 46 PJ (27.7 %) and industry with 42 PJ (25.1 %). Transport and industry consumed less energy than a year ago, while households more. Consumption in public sector, agriculture, and forestry also increased. However, energy consumption in fishing and aquaculture dropped by 23.5 %.

* Coal, peat, peat briquettes, coke.

** Charcoal, straw, other biomass, biogas, biofuel, waste tyres, municipal waste for burning.

Year-on-year consumption of natural gas increased, including a rise of 7.0 % in gross consumption and of 5.3 % in final consumption. However, consumption of solid fuels decreased ­– by 13.2 % and 11.8 % respectively. Fuelwood consumption stood rather stable, with gross consumption rising by only 0.5 % and final consumption by just 0.1 %. Consumption of oil and petroleum products fell – by 5.6 % and by 5.7 % respectively, whereas consumption of other energy resources rose by 11.2 % and by 17.4 % respectively.

Increased energy consumption recorded for mining and quarrying

Industry consumed 41.8 PJ of energy in 2024. The greatest consumption of energy resources was recorded in manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork, manufacture of non-metallic mineral products, and construction. Mining and quarrying saw a significant year-on-year increase, as in this sector energy consumption rose twice. Gross consumption in industry remained stable.

Energy consumption in construction fell by 646 terajoules (TJ) (15 %), with the largest decrease in the consumption of oil bitumen. In contrast, consumption of natural gas and fuelwood in construction increased.

Transformation sector consumed more energy, with higher use of natural gas

Transformation sector⁵ consumed 42.4 PJ of energy resources and produced 34.4 PJ of energy in 2024 (25.9 PJ of heat and 8.3 PJ of electricity) – which is 3 % more year-on-year. Consumption of liquefied petroleum gas declined significantly – by 40 %. Reduction was also recorded for peat and coal, while natural gas consumption increased by 10 %. A significant increase was also recorded for wood residues (46 %). Consumption of wood chips in the sector remained constant and made up 50.9 % of the energy resources consumed in 2024. Following the steady decline, natural gas consumption has been rising since 2023, reaching 40.9 % in 2024.

The share of renewable energy resources⁶ consumed in transformation sector has increased by 14 percentage points during the past five years and reached 57.9 % in 2024. Gross energy consumption in the sector reduced significantly over the period (by 25 %), as did the energy production (by 22 %).

Transport sector consumed less oil and petroleum products

Gross energy consumption in transport totalled 47.1 PJ in 2024 (49.6 PJ in 2023). Diesel oil is used the most (31.6 PJ); however, its consumption dropped by 7.2 % year-on-year. Petrol consumption decreased as well – by 9.4 %. Decline was also recorded for liquefied petroleum gases and kerosene-type jet fuel – down by 8.0 and 3.8 % respectively. Consumption of natural gas in transport is relatively small (143 TJ), though it increased by 27.7 %. Increased consumption was also recorded for bioethanol and biodiesel, which doubled. This rise was driven by the renewed requirement for mandatory biofuel blending in transport fuels.

Electricity consumption in transport reached 440 TJ, representing a 13.7 % increase year-on-year. Road transport, with electricity use reaching199 TJ in 2024, saw more notable upturn – an increase of 27.6 %. The rise observed in previous years had been more gradual. Electricity consumption in railway transport also increased, rising by 11 TJ (4.9 %).

Households consumed more electricity

Electricity consumption in households reached 1 740 GWh in 2024, exceeding the levels recorded in both 2022 and 2023, when it stood under 1 685 GWh. Firewood and natural gas, with respective shares of 34.1 % and 8.2 %, remain the main fuels used for household heating. Moreover, natural gas consumption increased by 8 % year-on-year.

Key energy and climate neutrality indicators are available in the CSB Climate Change Dashboard.

Statistics for the activities of combined heat and power plants were published in the official statistics portal section Business sectors / Energy on 20 June.

Methodological information:

¹ Gross energy consumption includes consumption of energy resources in heat and electricity production (transformation sector) and final consumption which includes all sectors of national economy as well as households.

² Combined heat and power production (cogeneration) refers to simultaneous generation of electricity and heat in the same technological device and cycle using natural gas, biogas, solid fuels, liquid fuels and fuelwood.

³ A CHP plant consists of cogeneration devices and heat peak load boiler devices.

⁴ Final energy consumption is the energy used directly by households or businesses for specific purposes, such as heating or transport. While gross consumption includes all energy use, final consumption refers only to the energy used directly by end consumers.

⁵ The data on transformation sector cover energy resources consumed for production and sale of electricity and heat.

⁶ Renewable energy sources (renewables) – wind, sun, geothermal, wave, tidal, and water energy, and also aerothermal energy (thermal energy accumulated in the air), geothermal energy (thermal energy located under the surface of the mainland) and hydrothermal energy (thermal energy located in surface waters), waste landfill site and sewage treatment plant gas and biogas, and biomass. Renewables used in the transformation sector are local resources such as fuelwood, biogas, and other biomass.

Media requests:
Public Relations Section
Email: media@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 27880666

More information about the data:
Regīna Dzirne
Environmental Statistics Department
Email: Regina.Dzirne@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 673666347