Cambodia's solar capacity hits 1.5 GW, beating its own 2035 targets early

Cambodia's installed solar capacity has reached nearly 1.5 GW, exceeding the country's Power Development Plan (PDP) targets for both 2030 (1 GW) and 2035 (1.3 GW) well ahead of schedule, according to a briefing note published this week by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). The original 2025 interim target of 705 MW was also beaten a full year early, with solar now accounting for more than 10% of national electricity generation.

A pipeline that keeps growing

Rooftop solar remains blocked by policy

IEEFA warns that a planned LNG-to-power plant scheduled for 2027 commissioning risks raising electricity tariffs and increasing the carbon intensity of Cambodia's grid — particularly damaging given that Cambodia already has some of Asia's highest industrial electricity prices. The think tank recommends removing rooftop solar barriers and allowing the state utility to purchase surplus electricity from rooftop installations. Cambodia has committed to a 70–80% renewable energy capacity share by 2030 and has joined the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative.