Albania
Albania, the small Balkan country neighboring Greece, has made significant strides in its clean energy transition primarily due to its heavy reliance on hydropower.
Hydropower constitutes almost the entirety of the country’s electricity production, with three notable hydroelectric dams at the Drin Cascade region in the northern part of the nation; collectively, these dams produce around 70% of Albania’s electricity.
Despite this advantage, the country’s overdependence on hydropower makes it vulnerable to climate variability, leading to fluctuating electricity generation and the need for imports during dry years. Recent efforts to diversify include the construction of new renewable energy projects, such as a 140 megawatts solar plant finishing its construction in late 2023, and another solar plant coming soon. Albania adopted a National Energy and Climate Plan in December 2021, but due to the 2030 sustainable development targets set by the UN, the plan requires ongoing revisions to ensure these goals are achieved.