Trading electricity between countries has become much more common in recent years.

In the OECD, imports of electricity grew from 89 TWh in 1974 to 496 TWh in 2020, representing an average annual growth rate of 3.8%, compared to the 1.9% growth in overall electricity supply.

Substantial trade in electricity occurs in OECD Europe, where electricity imports grew at an average annual rate of 3.9% between 1974 and 2020.