Climate change: Wind and solar reach milestone as demand surges

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The first 10% of global electricity was generated by wind and solar in 2021, according to an analysis.

Fifty countries get more than a tenth of their power from wind and solar sources, according to research from a climate and energy think tank.

Demand for energy soared as the world's economies rebounded from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Electricity demand grew at a record pace. The surge in coal power was the fastest since 1985.

Adding a new India to the world's grid was equivalent to the growth in the need for electricity last year.

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The world generated 42% of its electricity from clean sources. 10% of the total was generated by wind turbine and solar panels for the first time.

Since the Paris climate agreement was signed, the share coming from wind and sun has doubled.

The Netherlands, Australia, and Vietnam had the fastest switch to wind and solar. In the last two years, all three moved a tenth of their electricity demand from fossil fuels to green sources.

The Netherlands is a great example of a more northern latitude country proving that it is not just where the sun shines, it is also about having the right policy environment that makes the big difference in whether solar takes off.

Vietnam saw a 300% increase in solar in one year.

In Vietnam, feed-in tariffs, money the government pays you for generating electricity, made it very attractive for households and utilities to deploy large amounts of solar.

It was a huge step up in solar generation last year, which didn't just meet increased electricity demand, but it also led to a fall in both coal and gas generation.

Coal power saw a huge rise in 2021, despite the fact that some countries likeDenmark get more than 50% of their electricity from wind and solar.

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Coal fired electricity rose by 9% in the year 2021, the fastest rate since 1985, as a large majority of the increased demand for electricity was met by fossil fuels.

The rise in coal use in Asian countries like China and India was not matched by the rise in gas use, which was only 1%, indicating that rising prices for gas have made coal a more viable source of electricity.

Dave Jones said that the last year has seen some really high gas prices, where coal became cheaper than gas.

Gas prices in Europe and Asia are 10 times more expensive than they were a year ago, while coal is three times more expensive.

The economics of electricity systems have shifted so fundamentally that the price of gas and coal is a double reason for them to demand more clean electricity.

Despite the coal resurgence in 2021, major economies including the US, UK, Germany, and Canada are aiming to shift their grids to 100% electric within the next 15 years.

The switch is being driven by the concern that the world will rise in temperature under 1.5C this century.

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Scientists say that wind and solar need to grow at 20% a year for the next 15 years.

This is noweminently possible according to the authors of this latest analysis.

The war in Ukraine could give a push to electricity sources that do not depend on Russian imports.

Hannah Broadbent said that wind and solar offer a solution out of the multiple crises that the world is facing, whether it's a climate crisis or dependence on fossil fuels.

The Global Electricity Review can be found here.

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