Experts: It seems that the peak of fossil fuel power generation has been reached, 12 percent of the electricity on Earth comes from the sun and wind | Science and the planet

The Russian invasion and rising energy prices have forced governments to speed up the transition to renewable energy.

Ember’s fourth review of global electricity is based on open data from the electricity sector of 78 countries, which account for 93 percent of global electricity demand.

All clean energy sources (renewables and nuclear) accounted for 39 percent of global electricity production last year, which is a record. Fossil fuels (gas, oil and coal) still account for more than 60 percent of electricity production.

More than 60 countries get more than 10 percent of their electricity from renewable energy, with the European Union leading (22 percent).

Ember points out that the EU, which started early in the race to renewable energy, is lagging behind in terms of growth. For example, electricity generated from wind power in the European Union grew by 9%, while a global growth of 17% was recorded. And it seems that “in particular, the barriers that stand in the way of the rapid deployment of wind energy on Earth must be removed.” The growth of electricity generated from solar power, at 24 percent, was in line with global growth

Electricity generated from coal increased by 1.1 percent and remains the largest source of electricity with a growth of 36 percent. Greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels have risen to 12 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (+1.3 percent).

However, experts believe that 2022 may be the peak year for greenhouse gas emissions linked to the electricity sector. For 2023, they expect a slight decline in electricity generation from fossil fuels (-0.3%), while wind and solar power will continue to grow.