Renewables have become the largest source of electricity globally for the first time. A new report shows wind and solar are booming across the world, despite fossil fuel generation rising in the U.S. and Europe.
The report by Ember, a global energy think-tank, showed that around the world:
- Solar generation grew by 31%
- Wind generation grew by 7.7%
- Combined, they grew by more than 400 terawatt hours
That’s enough power to meet the global energy demand increase in the same period!
Plus, renewables accounted for 34.3% of electricity generation. That surpassed coal, which accounted for 33.1%.
“That means that they can keep up the pace with growing appetite for electricity worldwide,” said Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, senior electricity analyst at Ember and lead author of the study. “The fall overall of fossil may be small, but it is significant.This is a turning point when we see emissions plateauing.”
Leading the way are China and India. China added more solar and wind to the start of the year than the rest of the world combined. India also saw record wind and solar growth. Both countries’ fossil fuel generation dropped, and emissions fell.
Read the article –> https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/solar-wind-renewables-coal-electricity-1.7653234