Laos aims to generate 75% of its electricity from hydropower and 11% from renewables – mainly wind and solar – by 2030, with a conditional target of 1 GW of combined wind and solar capacity
GlobalData estimates its solar capacity to reach about 2.1 GW and onshore wind 2.9 GW by 2030, rising further to 4 GW and 5.1 GW, respectively, by 2035
While spatial constraints limit large-scale ground-mounted solar projects, GlobalData says floating solar on reservoirs could offer expansion opportunities
As it pivots away from coal, Laos aims to generate 75% of its electricity from hydropower and 11% from renewables – mainly wind and solar – by 2030. The plan includes a conditional target of 1 GW of combined wind and solar capacity.
However, GlobalData estimates the country could reach around 2.1 GW of solar and 2.9 GW of onshore wind capacity by the end of the decade. By 2035, these technologies are projected to increase their shares to 4 GW and 5.1 GW, up from 300 MW and 1.5 GW in 2025, respectively.
With solar potential estimated at 4.4 kWh per m² per day, its deployment in the landlocked Southeast Asian country is expected to remain limited, as spatial constraints restrict large-scale, ground-mounted projects, according to GlobalData.
Hydropower will continue to play an important role in the country’s electricity generation mix as it targets an additional 13 GW capacity by 2030, says GlobalData Power Analyst Attaurrahman Ojindaram.
Floating solar on reservoirs could offer an opportunity to expand solar capacity, notes GlobalData. A July 2023 report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL, now the National Laboratory of the Rockies) estimates around 825 GW of floating PV potential across 10 Southeast Asian countries, with Laos and Malaysia at the top of the list (see Floating Solar Prospects In Southeast Asia).
Among renewables, onshore wind will lead the country’s renewable power capacity, which GlobalData forecasts to increase at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.1% during 2025 to 2035 to 9.8 GW. This renewable energy technology accounted for nearly 74.3% of the country’s total renewable energy capacity in 2025, while solar PV represented 12.8%.