Bulgaria’s power balance tightens in early 2026 as demand rises and baseload output falls

Bulgaria’s electricity market entered 2026 with a widening gap between supply and demand, according to figures published by the national transmission system operator ESO. From 1 January to 19 April 2026, total electricity production declined while consumption rose, tightening the country’s power balance and increasing reliance on imports.

Production down modestly as consumption accelerates

ESO data show that electricity production in Bulgaria fell by 0.86% year-on-year to 13.89 TWh over the period. Consumption moved in the opposite direction, increasing by 5.72% year-on-year to reach 14.02 TWh.

The divergence between these two trends pushed Bulgaria into a net import position. Bulgaria recorded net electricity imports of 137 GWh in 2026 during the same timeframe.

Baseload generation declines more sharply

Within generation, output from baseload power plants—covering coal and nuclear facilities—declined more noticeably than overall production. Total baseload output dropped by 13.5% compared with 2025, falling to 9.77 TWh.

This reduction suggests lower contribution from conventional generation sources during the period, even as overall production only decreased slightly.

Renewables keep expanding across grid connections

Against that backdrop, renewable energy sources continued to grow. RES generation connected to the transmission network increased by 8.3% year-on-year to 1,037.9 GWh, indicating stronger output from large-scale renewable installations.

Renewables also expanded at the distribution level, though at a more moderate pace. RES generation in the distribution network rose by 1.7% year-on-year to 1,004.6 GWh.

Taken together, the figures point to an early-2026 shift in Bulgaria’s power mix: conventional baseload output is weaker while renewables are still adding generation capacity—yet rising demand is outpacing supply enough to require net imports.