Worldwide solar and wind power generation has exceeded the growth of electricity demand in the first half of this year. For the first time on record, renewable energy sources combined produced more power than coal.
According to a new report from the clean energy transition think tank Ember, global solar output grew by 31% and wind generation by 7.7%, adding over 400 terawatt hours—more than the increase in overall electricity demand during the same period.
The findings are being used to suggest that with continued investment in renewables, including solar, wind, hydropower, bioenergy, and geothermal sources, it is possible to meet rising global energy needs while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
In China and India, renewable growth outpaced demand increases, contributing to a fall in fossil fuel generation and associated emissions. In contrast, in the United States and the European Union, electricity demand growth and certain generation patterns meant fossil fuel use and emissions increased slightly.
Experts claim that renewable energy can continue to expand globally, even in markets with slower growth, and has the potential to gradually displace fossil fuel generation over time.
The report also highlights the role of economic growth, rising populations, electric vehicles, data centers, and climate-related cooling needs in shaping electricity demand worldwide.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), countries need to increase the flexibility of electricity networks to manage the intermittent nature of renewable power, which is expected to account for 30% of output by 2030—roughly double the current share.
Critics suggest that these findings skimp on important questions of context: typically, renewables have relied on significant subsidies to reach their current level, often against the wishes of voters in the European Union—whose member states alone have purchased Russian fossil fuels worth €21.9 billion, more than the aid allocated to Ukraine.
