Bulgaria produced 24.11 TWh of electricity between 1 January and 19 July 2026, an increase of 4.99% from the corresponding period of 2025, as renewable generation expanded and domestic demand rose faster than total output.
Electricity consumption increased by 6.83% to 22.84 TWh, according to data from transmission system operator ESO. The difference between production and consumption left Bulgaria with net exports of approximately 1.27 TWh.
The figures point to a tightening national balance despite higher generation. Based on the reported growth rates, the production surplus appears to have fallen from roughly 1.58 TWh in the comparable 2025 period to 1.27 TWh in 2026. Demand growth therefore absorbed a larger share of domestic generation, reducing the volume available for neighbouring markets.
The structure of production also changed. Baseload coal and nuclear plants generated 15.21 TWh, a decline of 9.35%. At the same time, renewable production connected to the transmission network increased by 13.35% to 2,495.5 GWh, while renewables connected to distribution networks rose by 4.63% to 2,365.4 GWh.
Combined reported renewable output across the two network levels reached approximately 4.86 TWh, equivalent to about 20% of total electricity production. The increase is strengthening Bulgaria’s daytime export capability but creating a more variable operating profile for conventional plants and cross-border flows.
Bulgaria remains an important electricity exporter to Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Turkey. Its ability to sustain that role increasingly depends on the hour. Solar generation can create large export volumes during daylight periods, while evening demand requires nuclear, coal, hydro and imports to cover the loss of photovoltaic output.
The decline in baseload production is therefore commercially significant. Lower coal and nuclear output may reflect outages, maintenance, market displacement or operational constraints, but it reduces the firm-generation margin available during low-renewable periods.
For Bulgarian generators, the market is shifting away from a simple baseload-export model. Renewable expansion is increasing aggregate production, while stronger domestic consumption and lower conventional output are narrowing the dependable surplus. Cross-border capacity and flexible generation will determine how much of Bulgaria’s renewable expansion can be converted into sustained export revenue rather than lower midday prices.
