Global electrical energy technology from clear sources crossed a significant milestone in 2024, with non-fossil sources—comprising renewables and nuclear—accounting for greater than 40 per cent of the world’s complete energy provide, in keeping with a brand new report by power assume tank Ember.
According to the report, nuclear, photo voltaic, wind and different renewable power sources collectively generated 40.9 per cent of worldwide electrical energy final 12 months, including a file 858 terawatt-hours (TWh) to the power combine.
Solar continued its fast ascent with technology doubling over the previous three years to surpass 2,000 TWh. Solar power was the most important contributor to new electrical energy technology for the third consecutive 12 months, including 474 TWh and in addition remained the fastest-growing energy supply globally for the twentieth 12 months in a row, with a 29 per cent annual enhance, it mentioned.
The report mentioned that China led this progress, accounting for 53 per cent of the worldwide enhance in photo voltaic technology. “The country’s clean energy output met 81 per cent of its rise in electricity demand in 2024. The global solar boom shows no signs of slowing, with 2024 marking the highest-ever capacity installations—more than twice the volume recorded in 2022,” it added.
India additionally made vital beneficial properties, overtaking Germany to develop into the world’s third-largest generator of electrical energy from wind and photo voltaic. The nation produced 215 TWh from these sources in 2024, nicely behind China’s 1,826 TWh and the United States’ 757 TWh, however practically doubling its output in 5 years. Despite being a late entrant into these renewable sectors, India’s clear power progress stays on a powerful upward trajectory.
However, the surge in clear energy was not sufficient to offset rising emissions from the ability sector. Higher temperatures round densely populated areas spiked demand for cooling in 2024 in comparison with the earlier 12 months. This led to a 0.7 per cent enhance in electrical energy demand—equal to 208 TWh—and pushed general demand progress to 4 per cent, considerably above 2023’s 2.6 per cent rise. As a outcome, fossil fuel-based technology grew by 1.4 per cent, inflicting world energy sector emissions to rise by 1.6 per cent to a file 14.6 billion tonnes of CO₂.
The report additionally highlighted that hotter temperatures have been the first issue behind this enhance: if climate circumstances had remained secure, fossil technology would have risen by simply 0.2 per cent with clear electrical energy masking 96 per cent of the expansion in demand unrelated to heatwaves.
The bounce in fossil-based energy in 2024 (245 TWh) was practically an identical to that of 2023, regardless of a a lot sharper rise in general electrical energy demand final 12 months, the report mentioned.
