Clean energy growing faster than electricity demand

Solar power plant in Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo: AP

A turning point in renewable energy growth

Ember pointed out that global solar power output increased by a record 31% in the first half of this year, while wind power output increased by 7.7%. Specifically, the total solar and wind power output increased by more than 400 terawatt hours (TWh), higher than the overall growth of global electricity demand in the same period.

Meanwhile, coal power output decreased by 0.6% (-31 TWh), gas decreased by 0.2% (-6 TWh) and total fossil power output decreased by 0.3% (-27 TWh).

Thus, combined with the steady expansion of wind power, renewable energy can meet growing demand and begin to replace fossil fuels.

The findings suggest the world can gradually wean itself off polluting energy sources, even as electricity demand soars, by continuing to invest in renewable energy including solar, wind, hydropower, bioenergy and geothermal.

“With a decline of just 1%, the overall decline in fossil fuels may be small, but significant,” said Małgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, senior electricity analyst at Ember and lead author of the report, AP reported. “This is the turning point where we see emissions flattening out.”

Ember analyzed monthly data from 88 countries that represent the majority of electricity demand worldwide. Reasons for the increase in electricity demand include: economic growth, electric vehicles, data centers, rising populations, and the need for more cooling as temperatures rise.

Main markets

Ember said that the economies of China, India, the European Union (EU) and the US together account for nearly two-thirds of electricity production and CO ₂ emissions from the power sector globally.

Yet in the first six months of the year, China added more solar and wind power than the rest of the world combined, while its fossil fuel electricity output fell 2%.

India has seen record growth in solar and wind power, outpacing demand growth, while fossil fuel electricity generation has fallen. As a result, emissions have fallen in both India and China.

Meanwhile, in the US and EU, electricity production from fossil fuels and emissions both increased.

In particular, the US renewable energy market is facing challenges as the Trump administration shifts federal policy from renewable energy to promoting coal, oil and gas production.

Mr. Trump ended Biden-era funding for clean energy projects, repealed climate-related regulatory support, stopped wind energy development while removing barriers to coal mining, and spent millions of dollars on these coal plants.

Global renewable energy production is growing rapidly. Photo: Vox

“Solar and wind are no longer auxiliary technologies, they are driving the development of the global electricity system,” affirmed Ms. Sonia Dunlop, CEO of the Global Solar Council.

To achieve this, governments and industry must increase investment in clean energy and storage to make cheap and reliable electricity available to everyone, according to Ember.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/nang-luong-sach-tang-truong-nhanh-hon-nhu-cau-dien-nang-3305647.html