2026 Winter Olympics Powered by 100% Clean Energy

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy just showed the world that massive sporting events can ditch fossil fuels without compromising performance. Every competition venue, from ski jumps to ice rinks, ran on 100% certified renewable electricity.

Making snow and powering arenas for the Winter Games requires enormous amounts of energy. Organizers knew electricity use was one of their biggest sources of planet-warming emissions, so they made clean power their top priority.

Italy's largest electricity company, Enel, supplied all 85 gigawatt-hours needed for both the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The company purchased special certificates called "guarantees of origin" that prove every unit of power came from renewable sources like hydropower, wind, and solar.

These certificates work like receipts for green energy. Each one represents exactly one megawatt hour of electricity produced from certified renewable plants, and once used, they're canceled so no one can claim the same clean energy twice.

Nearly three-quarters of the electricity Enel produced in Italy last year was carbon-free. About half came from hydropower plants in northern Italy's mountains and rivers, with geothermal, wind, and solar making up much of the rest.

Beyond just buying clean power for two weeks, Enel built new electrical substations and upgraded distribution networks in Olympic host towns like Livigno, Bormio, and Cortina. These improvements will serve local residents for decades after the closing ceremony.

The Ripple Effect

The International Olympic Committee hopes these Games become a blueprint for future major events worldwide. As researchers warn that fewer locations will be cold enough to reliably host Winter Olympics in coming years, showing that sustainability works at this scale matters more than ever.

The organizing committee acknowledged their toughest challenge wasn't electricity but transportation emissions from spectators and athletes traveling to Italy. Still, they proved that when it comes to powering the actual events, clean energy solutions work for even the world's biggest stages.

Future host cities now have a working model that combines technological innovation with environmental protection, proving you don't have to choose between world-class competition and protecting the planet.