Energy

Greenland is located in the Northern Polar region, where winters are cold and the summers, depending on location, can be relatively mild.

In North Greenland, the climate is dominated by high Arctic conditions. Summers are cool with midnight sun, while the winters are harsh and the polar night lasts one to five months. Further south, in Mid and South Greenland, the climate is predominantly low Arctic. In the deep fiords of South Greenland, temperatures are slightly higher, which allows certain tree to species to grow, a sign of the subarctic climate in these areas.

The highest temperature measured in Greenland since 1958 is 25.9 degrees Celsius on the West Coast of Greenland in July 2013. The coldest temperature is measured on the Ice Cap, and is down on -69.9 degrees Celsius.

Due to the cold climate, energy demand is high. Since the 1990s, five hydropower plants have been built, supplying electricity to the towns of Nuuk, Qaqortoq, Narsaq, Sisimiut, Ilulissat and Tasiilaq. Before hydropower plants were introduced, the entire country relied exclusively on fossil fuels, which is still the case in smaller towns and settlements. Today, a smaller portion ofof heating is produced through waste incineration.