As climate awareness across the globe grows, people want to know that a policy will actually reduce emissions – and one of those policies is to enable more renewable energy to be produced.
In these parts, permission was given for the expansion of the biomethane plant [aka low-carbon energy system] just outside Exeter a couple of years ago – and tomorrow, the Sidmouth Science Festival will be leading a visit to this Gorst Energy Biodigester in Clyst St Mary (now fully booked!)
There is, in other words, growing interest in renewable energy.
And there is huge growth happening in renewable energy itself.
Today it was reported that electricity from renewables has overtaken coal in Australia for the first time. And also today we hear from another country where coal has been king – that renewables in China surge, (although some questions are raised…)
But the biggest news this week is that even beyond Australia and China, renewables have overtaken coal as the world’s biggest source of electricity:
Electricity demand is growing around the world but the growth in solar and wind was so strong it met 100% of the extra electricity demand, even helping drive a slight decline in coal and gas use.
However, Ember says the headlines mask a mixed global picture. Developing countries, especially China, led the clean energy charge but richer nations including the US and EU relied more than before on planet-warming fossil fuels for electricity generation.
Despite these regional differences, Ember calls this moment a “crucial turning point”. Ember senior analyst Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka said it “marks the beginning of a shift where clean power is keeping pace with demand growth”.
Solar power delivered the lion’s share of growth, meeting 83% of the increase in electricity demand. It has now been the largest source of new electricity globally for three years in a row. Most solar generation (58%) is now in lower-income countries, many of which have seen explosive growth in recent years. That’s thanks to spectacular reductions in cost. Solar has seen prices fall a staggering 99.9% since 1975 and is now so cheap that large markets for solar can emerge in a country in the space of a single year, especially where grid electricity is expensive and unreliable, says Ember.
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