Electricity generation is one of the biggest sources of emissions making up as much as a third of total emissions in 2021.
However, Ember – an independent energy think tank – recently reported that they expect that fossil fuel use in energy production will drop this year.
The good news
Wind and solar renewables now account for 12% of electricity generation globally.
Enough wind capacity was added to global generation in 2022 to power the UK. Solar power grew by 24% globally, which is equivalent to the annual demands of South Africa.
China was the biggest player, adding 50% of wind and 40% of solar power globally, although they continue to be the largest coal power user.
The expectation is that we have now reached a turning point, with wind and solar capacity likely to increase exponentially over the next few years.
In 2021, 41.3% of electricity consumption in Northern Ireland was from renewable sources, primarily wind. In the Republic of Ireland approximately 22.9% of electricity consumption was from renewable sources.
Sources: BBC, Ember, NI Government, SEAI
Some remain skeptical
It took decades to fully phase out coal power, for example the UK still used a bit of coal in 2022, 43 years past the peak…
We don’t have 40 or even 30 years, we need to fully decarbonize electricity in a much shorter time.
Prof Jessica Jewell, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
What do you think?
- Will adoption of renewable energy continue to increase exponentially?
- Are we really at a ‘turning point’?
- Are you seeing the impacts or benefits of renewable energy adoption in your area?
- Have you adopted any electrification such as heat pumps or electric vehicles?
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