Energy in Sweden

Historical energy consumption in Sweden by source. Renewables and nuclear is given as the electricity produced.

Wind turbines in Sweden

Energy in Sweden is characterized by relatively high per capita production and consumption, and a reliance on imports for fossil fuel supplies.

With 98% of electricity generation coming from renewables and nuclear in 2023, the electric grid is nearing zero emissions.[1] Sweden is also a major net exporter of electricity, exporting over 20% of national electricity generation to the rest of Europe in 2023.[2]

A high carbon tax on heating fuels has contributed to a noticeable uptake in biomass and electricity usage in the heating/cooling sector, with Eurostat reporting Sweden had the highest share of renewable energy for heating and cooling in the EU, at 69% (2022).[3][4]

By contrast, the transport sector (especially plane fuel and automobiles) remain majority-powered by fossil fuels, a challenge for the government's 2045 target of carbon neutrality.[5][6] Nevertheless, sustainability measures have reduced total emissions in Sweden, even as the population has increased; at 3.6 tonnes per person, Sweden's 2022 per capita Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions are 45% lower than 1990 levels and below the world average.[7]

Eurostat data (2022) shows 66% of Sweden's total final energy consumption comes from renewables, broken down as 83.3% in electricity consumption, 69.4% in heating and cooling, and 29.2% in transport.[8]

  1. ^ Our World in Data (20 June 2024). "Share of electricity generated by low-carbon sources: Sweden". Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  2. ^ Jean-Paul Harreman & Clement Bouilloux, Montel Group (5 February 2024). "European power exports analysis: France returns to top spot". Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  3. ^ Jordan Cheung, Earth.Org (4 March 2022). "Carbon Pricing and Carbon Tax in Sweden". Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  4. ^ Eurostat (27 February 2024). "Renewable energy for heating & cooling up to 25% in 2022". Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  5. ^ Carolina Yang, Stockholm Environment Institute (31 May 2023). "Accelerating Sweden's climate action in transportation". Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  6. ^ International Energy Agency (2024). "Energy system of Sweden". Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  7. ^ Our World in Data (20 June 2024). "Per capita CO₂ emissions: Sweden, World". Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  8. ^ Eurostat (3 January 2024). "Renewable energy statistics". Retrieved 7 July 2024.