Will electricity be the cornerstone of Latvia's energy transition?

Electricity will be the cornerstone of Latvia’s energy transition. Latvia’s hydro-dominated electricity system provides a favourable starting point to use clean electricity to decarbonise other economic sectors and meet the target of 57% renewables in total final consumption by 2030.

How can wind and solar power projects help Latvia?

Bringing wind and solar power projects online will also help reduce Latvia’s dependence on natural gas imports and can contribute to lower electricity prices; current efforts to develop offshore wind will support this outcome.

Can Latvia achieve energy savings by renovating its building stock?

Latvia could achieve considerable energy savings by renovating its building stock. Latvia holds considerable potential to accelerate energy efficiency outcomes in the buildings sector, which will go a long way toward meeting climate targets and lowering energy bills.

How has Latvia managed to unlink its energy dependency from Russia?

Overall, Latvia has made considerable progress in unlinking its energy dependency from Russian imports in a short period of time, including by imposing bans on the import of electricity and natural gas from Russia in 2023. The government is also changing its storage model for oil reserves to further fortify its oil security.

How will Latvia synchronise with the European Grid?

In electricity, Latvia will need to move forward with efforts to synchronise with the European grid on an accelerated timeline. For natural gas, Latvia will become heavily reliant on liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply as well as (soon to be expanded) gas storage.

Can Latvia switch from oil to alternative sources?

Latvia’s transport sector, predominantly road transport, is also a major energy consumer. Around 95% of transport energy demand is met with oil products, indicating that Latvia has potential to both lower oil consumption and to switch from oil to alternative sources.