Ibiza reached its highest recorded level of electricity demand in 2025, while solar power generated on the island supplied only around 1% of total consumption, according to figures cited by environmental organisations. The data highlight the island's continued dependence on electricity imported through its connection with Mallorca and on its own fossil-fuel-powered thermal power station.

The figures have prompted Amics de la Terra to call for a reduction in energy demand alongside the expansion of renewable energy. The environmental organisation argues that installing more solar panels and electric vehicles will not be enough to address Ibiza's energy challenges if overall consumption continues to grow.

The warning was issued on 21 October 2026 to mark World Energy Saving Day, with the group describing the island's current energy model as increasingly vulnerable.

Electricity Demand Exceeds One Million MWh

According to data from the Balearic Islands Statistics Institute (IBESTAT), based on information from Red Eléctrica and analysed by IbizaPreservation's Sustainability Observatory, electricity demand in Ibiza reached 1,022,543 megawatt-hours (MWh) in 2025.

That represented a 6.6% increase compared with 2024, when demand stood at 958,755 MWh. The 2025 total was the highest in the comparable records cited by the observatory.

The figures indicate that electricity consumption continues to rise, placing additional pressure on an island whose locally generated renewable electricity remains limited.

The organisations have pointed to several potential contributors to rising demand, including the resident and seasonal population, construction, tourism and the need for cooling during increasingly hot summers. These factors form part of their assessment of the island's energy pressures rather than a quantified breakdown of the increase.

Ibiza Relies on Mallorca and Its Thermal Power Station

Most of Ibiza's electricity supply in 2025 came from outside the island or from its local thermal power station.

According to the figures published by IbizaPreservation, 622,524 MWh, equivalent to 60.9% of demand, arrived through the electricity interconnection with Mallorca. The remaining 400,019 MWh, or 38.1%, was generated at Ibiza's thermal power station.

Together, these sources accounted for approximately 99% of the island's electricity demand, leaving locally generated solar power to cover around 1%.

The interconnection with Mallorca is therefore a central part of Ibiza's electricity supply. At the same time, dependence on the wider electricity system means that the island's supply mix is influenced by generation sources and conditions beyond its own territory.

Solar Power Production Falls by 3.7%

Despite the potential for photovoltaic installations, locally generated solar electricity declined by 3.7% in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to the Sustainability Observatory.

Solar power represented around 2.5% of electricity generated locally on Ibiza, but because the island also imports a substantial proportion of its electricity, this was equivalent to only around 1% of total demand.

The distinction matters: the share of solar in local electricity generation is not the same as its contribution to all the electricity consumed on the island.

The data also exclude some off-grid self-consumption installations, meaning that not every unit of solar electricity used locally is necessarily reflected in the figures in the same way as electricity supplied through the public grid.

Amics de la Terra recognises that photovoltaic power has significant potential to expand in Ibiza. However, the organisation argues that renewable generation must be considered alongside measures to reduce consumption and improve energy efficiency.

Amics de la Terra Calls for a Reduction in Energy Demand

Amics de la Terra argues that the energy transition should not rely solely on replacing fossil-fuel generation with renewable electricity while allowing consumption and material production to expand indefinitely.

The organisation says that reducing demand should be a central part of the island's energy strategy. Its proposals include improving the energy efficiency of buildings, expanding shared self-consumption and community energy projects, and addressing energy poverty.

It also questions whether Ibiza can realistically meet all its electricity requirements through solar photovoltaic installations alone, particularly given the limits of land availability and the wider infrastructure needed to support an increasingly electrified economy.

The group has criticised what it sees as an approach that prioritises continued economic expansion while relying on new technologies to compensate for growing energy use. This is the organisation's stated position, rather than a settled consensus among all energy experts or public authorities.

Concerns About Grid Resilience

The environmental group has also raised concerns about the resilience of Ibiza's electricity network, pointing to power cuts during storms as evidence of potential weaknesses.

It argues that a system facing growing demand will need investment in infrastructure as well as renewable generation and energy efficiency. The organisation warns that electrifying more activities without addressing the capacity and resilience of the grid could create additional challenges.

These concerns come as electricity demand continues to rise across the Balearic Islands. Red Eléctrica's September 2026 figures showed that electricity demand across the archipelago remained higher than in the same period of the previous year. However, regional figures should not be treated as a direct substitute for Ibiza-specific annual data.

The Challenge of Meeting Climate Targets

The Balearic Islands have set a target for renewable energy to account for 35% of final energy consumption by 2030, while the European Union's corresponding target is 42%.

These targets cover final energy consumption, which includes more than electricity alone. They should therefore not be directly compared with the 1% figure for locally generated solar electricity as if they measured the same thing.

Nevertheless, the data underline the scale of the challenge facing Ibiza. Electricity demand is increasing, local photovoltaic generation remains a small part of total consumption, and much of the island's supply continues to depend on the Mallorca interconnection and thermal generation.

The organisations involved argue that the response must combine more renewable energy with greater efficiency, better infrastructure and measures to manage demand.

For Ibiza, the central question is how to meet the needs of residents, businesses and visitors while reducing reliance on fossil fuels and building a more resilient energy system. The latest figures suggest that expanding renewable generation alone will not resolve every part of that challenge.