Report: Renewables Account for 30% of World's Electricity

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Facts

  • According to a new report from climate think tank Ember, renewable energy powered 30% of the world's electricity last year, up from 19% 24 years ago. Researchers said this was due to a large increase in wind and solar power.1
  • With the inclusion of nuclear energy, 40% of electricity was generated by renewable energy last year. The change has resulted in a record low carbon intensity, down 12% from its 2007 peak.2
  • The country with the highest percentage of renewables-generated electricity was Chile at 20%, followed by Greece (19%), Hungary (18%), and the Netherlands (17%). However, the EU leads the rest of the world with, 44% of its electricity coming from green energy.3
  • Solar energy, which remained the fastest-growing renewable energy source for the 19th straight year, produced twice as much power as coal last year. Hydropower energy, however, was at a five-year low due to droughts in China and other regions of the world.4
  • The report analyzed 80 countries — representing 92% of global electricity — alongside historical data for 215 countries. Ember projects says this research will lead to a 2% reduction in global fossil fuel production in 2024.1
  • Ember's European Program Director Sarah Brown said the EU is on track to reach its 72% renewable energy goal by 2030. Meanwhile, four countries impacted by drought — China, India, Vietnam, and Mexico — accounted for 95% of the rise in global coal usage.3

Sources: 1Guardian, 2CNN, 3Euronews and 4Tech Digest.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Ember. Despite hiccups with hydropower, the entire world seems to be on track to achieve the 1.5°C temperature goal. With years of steady increases in solar and wind-generated electricity, including from countries like China, we now know what it takes to make the world renewable. Electricity is a top source of emissions, which also means making it green will be a leading cause of lowering CO2.
  • Narrative B, as provided by WSJ.com. While headlines about growing renewable energy superficially appear positive, the story is much more depressing for working class people on the ground. From California in the US to Germany and France, the rapid passage of climate legislation across the West has wrecked the finances of farmers and homeowners. Renewable energy certainly has the potential to become the future, but efforts to increase the rapidity of infrastructure change are economically unsustainable.

Predictions