BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) – Nearly a third of global electricity production was generated by renewable energies last year, according to an analysis. Growth in solar and wind power has helped surpass the 30% mark for the first time in 2023, according to a report released Wednesday by think tank Ember. Since 2000, the share of renewable energy has increased by 19%, mainly due to the increase in wind and solar energy. While their share in global electricity production was 0.2% in 2000, it reached a peak of 13.4% in 2023, the authors continue. Another Source of renewable energy is, for example, hydraulic energy.
According to the data, solar energy also grew the fastest last year. Hydroelectricity production, however, fell to its lowest level in five years, due to drought, particularly in China. According to the authors, this deficit was offset by an increase in coal-fired electricity generation, leading to a 1% increase in global emissions in the electricity sector. Coal-fired electricity generation increased mainly in four countries heavily affected by drought: China, India, Vietnam and Mexico.
For their analysis, the experts used different data on gross electricity production, such as those from Eurostat, the EU statistical office, or the Energy Information Administration (EIA) /rdz/DP/zb.
