2026 Winter Olympics Powered by 100% Renewable Energy

For the first time, the Winter Olympics are running on 100% certified renewable electricity, and the impact goes far beyond the slopes.

The 2026 Milan Cortina Games made history by committing to power every venue with clean energy. Italy's largest electricity company, Enel, supplied 85 gigawatt hours of renewable power through certificates that prove every megawatt came from green sources like hydropower, geothermal, wind, and solar.

This isn't just about good optics. The organizing committee identified energy as the biggest driver of planet-warming emissions at major events, making it the most important place to take action.

Nearly three-quarters of the electricity Enel produced in Italy last year was carbon-free. About 50% came from hydropower facilities in northern Italy's mountains and rivers, with geothermal, wind, and solar making up most of the rest.

The infrastructure built for the Games will outlast the closing ceremony. Enel constructed new power substations in Olympic towns like Livigno and Arabba, upgrading distribution systems that will benefit local residents for years to come.

The Ripple Effect

Julie Duffus, the International Olympic Committee's head of sustainability, sees these Games as a blueprint for the future. "Every Games we strive to push innovation in sustainability, reduce the overall impact and the carbon footprint," she told reporters.

The shift matters because Winter Games locations are disappearing. Researchers say the number of places that can reliably host a Winter Olympics will shrink dramatically in coming years as temperatures rise.

The organizing committee hopes their clean energy commitment shows athletes, spectators, and future host cities that sustainable solutions work at massive scale. When you can power an entire Olympic Games with renewable electricity, it proves these technologies are ready for any major event.

Italy's move sets a new baseline for what's possible. While challenges remain (most emissions still come from spectators and athletes traveling to events), the energy breakthrough shows that even the world's biggest sporting spectacles can run on clean power.

The future of major events just got a lot greener, and it happened on snow that might not exist in another generation without action like this.