Bulgaria’s power system saw a mixed but structurally important change between 1 January and 21 June 2026, based on data published by the Electricity System Operator (ESO). Over the same period, total generation and consumption both increased year-on-year. Bulgaria also maintained net exports despite the rise in domestic demand.
Total electricity production climbed by 3.76% year-on-year to 20.56 TWh. Domestic electricity consumption increased by 6.74%, reaching 19.98 TWh. Exports totaled 579 GWh over the observed timeframe.
Generation mix shifts away from baseload
Baseload generation from coal and nuclear plants declined by 10.9% compared with 2025. Output from these baseload sources totaled 13.18 TWh. The change coincided with higher overall production and higher consumption during the period.
Renewables increase across transmission and distribution networks
Renewable energy sources continued to expand during the first half of 2026. RES output connected to the transmission network rose by 13.86%, reaching 1,961.7 GWh. RES generation in the distribution network increased by 4.78% to 1,910.5 GWh.
The figures show growth in both centralized and decentralized renewable generation within Bulgaria’s electricity system for the period from 1 January to 21 June 2026.
