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Solar + wind power drove renewable energy contributions to record high in 2023::Renewable energy generation — driven mainly by solar and wind power expansions — soared to an unprecedented 30% of global electricity mix, according to a new report (pdf) by think tank Ember.
The methodology: The report analyzes electricity data from 215 countries, including the latest 2023 data for 80 countries that represent 92% of global electricity demand. Regional countries included in the analysis include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, the UAE, Turkey, and Iraq, all of which were listed among the 25 largest absolute emitters of CO2.
The findings: Solar and wind now generate 13.4% of the world’s electricity, growing nearly a full nine percentage points since 2015, the report finds. Together, clean sources generated almost 40% of the world’s electricity and the CO2 intensity of global power generation reached a new record low in 2023 — 12% below its peak in 2007, Ember concludes.
The world is at a turning point: Fossil fuel generation is expected to fall by 2% worldwide this year as a result of a larger predicted renewables generation compared to fossil fuels. Renewable energy has already hindered fossil fuel growth by two-thirds in the last decade, and consequently, half of the world’s economies have passed the peak for fossil fuel electricity generation. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries are ahead of the game as their power sector emissions peaked in 2007, falling 28% since then.
Solar power led the charge: Solar power has overtaken wind as the largest contributor of clean energy for the second year in a row, and has been the fastest growing electricity generation source for 19 consecutive years. Between 2022 to 2023, solar additions shot up by 76%.
And it’s expected to grow even further in 2024: Lower costs, government support, advanced technology, and increased manufacturing capabilities have allowed for significant growth in the solar industry. Global solar generation rose only 23% last year, but 2024 is expected to further reflect the boom in capacity.
Hydropower plans fell through: Hydropower generation reached a five-year low due to drought conditions. Clean capacity added in 2023 could have reduced fossil generation by 1.1% under normal circumstances, but instead the hydropower shortage led to increased coal generation. Increasing global power sector emissions by 1%. The majority of this increase in coal generation occurred in four drought-affected countries — China, India, Vietnam, and Mexico.
HOW OUR REGION FARED-
Egypt’s emissions remain high despite major potential: Egypt relied on fossil fuels for 88% of its electricity last year, revealing a slower installation rate for renewables, especially for its vast untapped solar potential. Hydropower constituted the largest share of clean electricity at 7%, and wind and solar grew to 5% — up from just 1% in 2015 — of electricity, but still lags behind the global average of 13% and the African continent’s average of 6%. Egypt is Africa’s largest fossil gas generator, contributing 45% of the continent’s gas generation in 2022. Over the past two decades, Egypt’s electricity demand and emissions have more than doubled but the country’s per capita emissions still remain below the global average.
Saudi has some ways to go: Nearly all of Saudi Arabia’s electricity generation comes from fossil fuels at 99.8%. Solar made up 0.2% of the power mix, while no other renewable energy sources were used. Saudi Arabia has ambitious targets in place to have renewable energy account for 50% of its electricity generation by 2030. The kingdom’s per capita emissions are quadruple the global average.
Rising power demand triggered rising emissions in the UAE: Fossil fuels contributed 83% of the UAE’s electricity. Nuclear power constitutes the largest share of its clean electricity at 13%, while wind and solar combined account for 4.5%. Electricity demand has surged over the past two decades, mainly satisfied by fossil gas, with growing contributions from nuclear and solar since 2019. UAE’s per capita emissions are five times higher than the global average.
Turkey continues to rely heavily on coal: Turkey became Europe’s second largest coal-fired power generator last year, with over a third of its total power generation coming from coal. The nation has significant renewable energy potential but still relies on fossil fuels to meet 58% of its electricity needs. Turkey produced only 16% of its electricity from wind and solar in 2023, with solar accounting for just 6% of its power generation. The country’s per capita emissions were similar to the global average.
Iraq’s power sector emissions have skyrocketed: Iraq has seen emissions from its power sector nearly quadruple in the last 20 years, and its reliance on fossil fuels stood at 98% in 2023. Iraq generates less than 3% of its electricity from hydropower — down from 5% in 2020 as a result of increased drought conditions — and less than 1% from solar and wind. The installation of a new gas plant also caused gas generation to increase 105% y-o-y. Iraq is yet to put out an official renewables target. Iraq’s emissions per capita were slightly above the global average.
Iran is heavily dependent on fossil fuels: Fossil fuels accounted for 94% of Iran’s electricity generation in 2023. Hydro power constituted Iran’s largest source of clean electricity at 4%, while wind and solar only contributed 0.6%, significantly lower than global and neighboring averages. Iran’s power sector emissions nearly tripled in the past 20 years, mainly due to increased fossil gas usage which makes up 87% of electricity generation. Iran plans to expand renewable capacity, especially solar, to address domestic gas shortages and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Iran’s per capita emissions surpasses the global average.
Other regional findings: Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait are the world’s three highest per capita power sector emitters, and are all highly dependent on gas, according to Ember. Bahrain’s per capita gas generation reached 24.3k kWh per capita while Qatar’s stood at 20.2k kWh, representing nearly 100% of their electricity from gas.
Global challenges remain: While government targets and industry forecasts indicate continued acceleration in renewable energy growth, slower growth in nuclear and hydro power and the need for improved energy efficiency and grid infrastructure have hindered progress. Despite these issues, the dominance of wind and solar power points to the end of the fossil fuel era, the report concludes.
