The share of clean energy in electricity generation is growing

Photo:Depositphotos

Solar energy is still the fastest growing energy source today. The amount of electricity produced has doubled in the past three years. It can be said that solar energy has become the engine of the global energy transformation.

The European Climate Service Copernicus reports that March 2025 was the second warmest on record, extending the period of record temperatures.

The solar revolution is now in its 20th year, largely due to its relative cheapness and ease of installation. It is the fastest growing source of clean electricity. Despite its rapid growth solar energy accounts for just seven percent of the global electricity supply from the energy mix. That’s the equivalent of generating enough electricity to power the entire country of India.

Wind generates eight percent of electricity and hydropower 14 percent making it the largest source of clean energy. Both hydropower and nuclear power are growing more slowly than solar. Nuclear power plants generate 9 percent of total electricity consumption.

Global electricity demand continues to outpace renewable energy growth. This means that while the percentage of clean energy produced has increased to 40.9 percent greenhouse gas emissions have not yet begun to decline. Global electricity demand is expected to grow by four percent in 2024.

This was partly due to increased use of air conditioning in an exceptionally hot year. This was reflected in fossil fuel production which rose by 1.4 percent. Global carbon dioxide emissions are currently at an all-time high of 14.6 billion tonnes.

Source:BBC