Denmark's electricity share jumps as electric cars and heat pumps surge

Data from industry group Green Power Denmark show that electricity accounted for 23.4% of the country's total energy consumption in 2025, marking a 1.5-point increase over the prior year and a sharp acceleration compared with the modest 3.8-point rise between 2016 and 2024. The surge is largely attributed to the expanding fleet of electric cars and to district-heating companies adopting electric boilers and heat-pump technology.

Kristian Jensen, chief executive of Green Power Denmark, argues that the shift will reduce Denmark's dependence on imported oil and natural gas, insulating it from price swings linked to Middle-East tensions and U.S. politics. He highlighted successful industrial pilots, such as large-scale heat pumps used by iron foundries and dairy producer Arla, as models for broader adoption. Green Power Denmark aims for electricity to represent 60% of total energy use by 2035, a goal that will require faster electrification across industry. The organization expects the upward trend to continue, though 2026 figures are not yet released.