Report: Fossil fuels still generate 57% of global electricity

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Fossil fuels still generated 57 per cent of the world’s electricity last year despite the rapid growth of renewable energy, according to a report by the Pew Research Centre based on data from energy think tank Ember.

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The report said electricity generated from coal, natural gas and oil fell as a share of global generation from 65 per cent in 2000 to 57 per cent last year.

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It added that the Energy Institute’s Statistical Review of World Energy estimated that coal, gas and oil still accounted for 86 per cent of global primary energy consumption, a share that has remained largely unchanged over the past two decades.

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According to the report, wind and solar power have expanded rapidly, particularly solar energy.

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Data from Ember showed that wind and solar together accounted for 17 per cent of global electricity generation last year, compared with less than five per cent a decade ago.

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The report stated that when combined with hydropower, geothermal and tidal energy, renewable sources generated a larger share of global electricity than hydrocarbons, reflecting the significant contribution of long-established hydropower capacity.

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It, however, identified a decline in nuclear power generation, which fell to nine per cent of total global electricity generation last year from 17 per cent in 2000.

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According to the Energy Institute, the decline is significant because global electricity demand is rising much faster than new generation capacity is being added.

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The institute said coal, natural gas and, to a lesser extent, oil remain major sources of electricity because they can be supplied and dispatched on demand, unlike wind and solar power.

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The report also noted that electricity demand is growing faster than supply, resulting in continued growth in the absolute use of hydrocarbons even as their share of global electricity generation declines.

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It added that wind and solar have increased their share of electricity generation as many countries pursue lower emissions and reduced dependence on energy imports.

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According to the report, China has made the greatest progress in expanding wind and solar capacity while remaining one of the world’s largest consumers of coal, oil and natural gas.

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It said the country’s energy profile demonstrates the difference between installed renewable capacity and actual energy consumption, noting that China remains the world’s largest consumer of coal despite leading global investment in wind and solar power.

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The report added that the European Union generated more electricity from non-hydrocarbon sources than from fossil fuels last year.

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According to Ember data, non-hydrocarbon sources accounted for 48 per cent of the bloc’s electricity generation, while gas- and coal-fired power plants generated 29 per cent.

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In Nigeria, gas-fired plants generate about 70 per cent of the country’s electricity.

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