Renewables Almost 1/3 Global Electricity

Canary Media: “Chart: Renewables generated a record 30% of global electricity in 2023.” On the left margin of the chart, you can see that sustainable energy sources, almost only hydropower, accounted for 19% of global electricity generation. “[But] growth in hydropower has been stagnant for decades, and a global drought is now causing a five-year low in water-powered electrical generation.” Solar however continues on a tear—the fastest-growing source of electricity for 19 yrs in a row, even during trade wars, supply chain disruptions + the coronavirus. Next, the figure on the right margin of the chart shows that in 2023 renewables jumped to 30% of the world’s electric power. “This surge in clean generation helped slow the growth of fossil fuels by almost two-thirds over the last 10 years, according to energy analysis firm Ember’s ​“Global Electricity Review 2024.” In fact, it’s likely that fossil fuel emissions in the power sector will turn out to have peaked in 2023, in spite of new coal + methane gas plants still being built. “The power sector is the world’s leading carbon emitterand will have to completely decarbonize by 2035 in major developed countries and by 2045 in the rest of the world in order to meet international emissions targets.” As a final point, I put the red arrow on ‘other renewable’s to emphasize the critical role geothermal is going to be playing in decarbonization. Go Big Red!