Belgium
BELBelgium gets next to none of its electricity from hydro, in a region built on it.
51% of grids in Europe draw more than a tenth of their power from hydro.
What this grid depends on
Three measures that say more about a country than how much power it makes. Open “what this means” on any of them if the term is new.
Cleaner than 8 in 10 grids worldwide.
What this means
How much planet-warming gas is released to make one unit of electricity. Two countries can generate exactly the same amount and one of them be ten times dirtier doing it. Lower is better.
Belgium buys in more electricity than it sends out.
What this means
The share of the electricity used here that was generated abroad and carried in over high-voltage lines. The higher it climbs, the more this country relies on a neighbour to keep its lights on.
Most of the fuel behind this grid is bought from abroad.
What this means
How much of what this grid runs on the country can supply itself. Sun, wind and water count fully, because nobody can cut them off; coal, gas and oil only as far as the country digs them up. A high score is not the same as a good grid: mining your own coal scores well, importing uranium scores badly.
Also true of Belgium
Belgium has no dominant fuel at all.
Its largest single source supplies just 33% of the grid.
Belgium is third in NATO for oil.
Oil supplies 6% of its electricity.
Belgium has taken the carbon out of its electricity fast.
216 grams of CO2e a kilowatt-hour in 2015, 150 in 2025.
Belgium’s neighbours
NetherlandsThe Netherlands has taken the carbon out of its electricity fast.
GermanyWind overtook coal on Germany's grid in 2023.
FranceFrance is first in the world for nuclear.
LuxembourgWind overtook bioenergy on Luxembourg's grid in 2023.
SwitzerlandSwitzerland gets next to none of its electricity from gas, in a region built on it.
Figures are for 2025, the most recent year reported for Belgium. Generation shares are a percentage of electricity generated, not of energy used. How this is calculated.