Kenya significantly increased its reliance on thermal power plants in the 12 months ending June 2025 to meet rising electricity demand, reversing a recent trend towards renewable sources. This surge in thermal energy usage comes despite government efforts to prioritize green energy.

• Electricity from thermal plants rose by 18.5 percent, accounting for 9.23 percent of the total electricity consumed in Kenya, up from 8.23 percent in the previous year.
• The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) attributed the increase to higher demand during peak hours, particularly between 7 PM and 10 PM daily.
• Despite the increased output, the overall installed thermal capacity declined to 564.8 MW due to the expiration of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) in December 2023.
• Kenya also increased power imports from neighboring countries, with Ethiopia accounting for 83 percent of all imports, following the first full year of commercial operations for the Ethiopia import program.