Global Electricity Review 2023 | Ember

Global Electricity Review 2023

Wind and solar reached a record 12% of global electricity in 2022, and power sector emissions may have peaked.

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12 Apr 2023
198 Minutes Read
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Table of Contents

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Foreword
Read
Significant strides
Read Section
No more excuses
Read Section
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4
Global Electricity Trends
Read Chapter
4.1
Global Electricity Generation
Read Section
4.2
Global Electricity Demand
Read Section
4.3
Global Power Sector Emissions
Read Section
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5
Electricity Source Trends
Read Chapter
5.1
Solar
Read Section
5.2
Wind
Read Section
5.3
Hydro
Read Section
5.4
Coal
Read Section
5.5
Bioenergy
Read Section
5.6
Gas
Read Section
5.7
Nuclear
Read Section
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6
Country and Region Deep Dives
Read Chapter
6.1
China
Read Section
6.2
United States
Read Section
6.3
India
Read Section
6.4
European Union
Read Section
6.5
Japan
Read Section
6.6
Russia
Read Section
6.7
South Korea
Read Section
6.8
Saudi Arabia
Read Section
6.9
Indonesia
Read Section
6.10
Iran
Read Section
Conclusion
Read

Highlights

+19%
Change in global wind and solar generation
+1.1%
Change in global coal generation
-0.2%
Change in global gas generation

Executive summary

Wind and solar reach a record 12% of global electricity in 2022

 

As soon as 2023, wind and solar could push the world into a new era of falling fossil generation, and therefore of falling power sector emissions.

The global electricity sector is the first sector that needs to be decarbonised, in parallel with electricity demand rising, as electrification unlocks emissions cuts throughout the entire economy. The IEA Net Zero Emissions scenario points to a 2040 net zero power sector; ten years ahead of a net zero economy in 2050. Tracking the electricity transition, therefore, is critical to assess our climate progress.

The decarbonisation of the power sector is underway, as record growth in wind and solar drove the emissions intensity of the world’s electricity to its lowest ever level in 2022. It will be an impressive moment when power sector emissions begin to fall year-on-year, but the world is not there yet, and emissions need to be falling fast.

Key takeaways

01

Electricity at its cleanest, as wind and solar generate 12% of global power

The carbon intensity of global electricity generation fell to a record low of 436 gCO2/kWh in 2022, the cleanest-ever electricity. This was due to record growth in wind and solar, which reached a 12% share in the global electricity mix, up from 10% in 2021. Together, all clean electricity sources (renewables and nuclear) reached 39% of global electricity, a new record high. Solar generation rose by 24%, making it the fastest-growing electricity source for 18 years in a row; wind generation grew by 17%. The increase in global solar generation in 2022 could have met the annual electricity demand of South Africa, and the rise in wind generation could have powered almost all of the UK. Over sixty countries now generate more than 10% of their electricity from wind and solar. However, other sources of clean electricity dropped for the first time since 2011 due to a fall in nuclear output and fewer new nuclear and hydro plants coming online.

02

Limited coal increase, gas plateaus

Power sector emissions rose in 2022 (+1.3%), reaching an all-time high. Electricity is cleaner than ever, but we are using more of it. Coal generation increased by 1.1%, in line with average growth in the last decade. The ‘coal power phasedown’ agreed at COP26 in 2021 may not have begun in 2022, but also the energy crisis didn’t lead to a major increase in coal burn as many feared. Gas power generation fell marginally (-0.2%) in 2022–for the second time in three years–in the wake of high gas prices globally. Gas-to-coal switching was limited in 2022 because gas was already mostly more expensive than coal in 2021. Only 31 GW of new gas power plants were built in 2022, the lowest in 18 years. But 2022 saw the lowest number of coal plant closures in seven years, as countries look to maintain back-up capacity, even as the transition picks up speed. 

03

2022 may be “peak” power emissions

Wind and solar are slowing the rise in power sector emissions. If all the electricity from wind and solar instead came from fossil generation, power sector emissions would have been 20% higher in 2022. The growth alone in wind and solar generation (+557 TWh) met 80% of global electricity demand growth in 2022 (+694 TWh). Clean power growth is likely to exceed electricity demand growth in 2023; this would be the first year for this to happen outside of a recession. With average growth in electricity demand and clean power, we forecast that 2023 will see a small fall in fossil generation (-47 TWh, -0.3%), with bigger falls in subsequent years as wind and solar grow further. That would mean 2022 hit “peak” emissions. A new era of falling power sector emissions is close.

2022 will be remembered as a turning point in the world’s transition to clean power. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine made many governments rethink their plans amid spiking fossil fuel prices and security concerns about relying on fossil fuel imports. It also accelerated electrification: more heat pumps, more electric vehicles, more electrolysers. These will drive reductions in emissions for other sectors, and will put more pressure to build clean power more quickly.

A new era of falling power sector emissions is very close, thanks to the electricity superpowers of wind and solar. Wind and solar will need to maintain high growth rates this decade, even as they mature. More growth is needed from all other clean electricity sources, while more attention to efficiency is needed to avoid runaway growth in electricity demand. Urgent work is needed on ensuring wind and solar can be integrated into the grid: planning permissions, grid connections, grid flexibility and market design. 

Falling fossil generation means not only that the coal power phasedown will happen, but also that–for the first time–a gas power phasedown is now within reach. However, just how quickly power sector emissions will fall is not yet set. 

In this decisive decade for the climate, it is the beginning of the end of the fossil age. We are entering the clean power era. The stage is set for wind and solar to achieve a meteoric rise to the top. Clean electricity will reshape the global economy, from transport to industry and beyond. A new era of falling fossil emissions means the coal power phasedown will happen, and the end of gas power growth is now within sight. Change is coming fast. However, it all depends on the actions taken now by governments, businesses and citizens to put the world on a pathway to clean power by 2040.

Foreword

A new era of clean power – no more excuses

 

Chile’s Minister of Energy, Diego Pardow, and Ember’s Non-Executive Chairs, Baroness Bryony Worthington and Harry Benham, reflect on the findings of the Global Electricity Review and the journey ahead as the world transitions to clean electricity.

Significant strides

Foreword from Ember’s Non-Executive Chairs

We are pleased to introduce the Global Electricity Review 2023 from Ember, now in its fourth year, in which we highlight again the continued surge in clean power generation worldwide.

This report showcases the significant strides made in the transition towards a sustainable and decarbonized energy system, and the promising outlook for achieving the critical milestone of peak emissions from the power sector – perhaps in this coming year. Wind and solar are growing at between 15-20% pa based on a 10 year average, so look set to exceed increases in annual electricity demand by the end of 2023.

The world has abundant supplies of wind and solar, and this report documents how, through technical innovation and policy execution, this abundance has been converted into on-the-ground energy supply. Often at a lower cost than fossil fuels and faster than other sources of clean electricity. 

Other clean non-fossil fuel technologies are also playing their part – nuclear could be entering a renaissance in some countries but there have also been set backs, as unusual weather affected both hydro and nuclear plant. 

Tracking progress on how our electricity is generated is critical, as it is not only a huge source of greenhouse gases, it is also needed as an enabler of a cleaner and more efficient energy system overall. As transport and heat sectors increasingly electrify, demand will increase, providing a stronger investment case for new clean capacity. But fossil fuels are still providing the backbone of the electricity system in many large economies and we need to understand and replicate the underlying success factors for rapid decarbonisation. 

Ember is committed to using data analysis to tell the story of the clean transition and to providing insights that can increase the pace of change. We hope you find this report and the underlying public data sets useful and please provide us with feedback so we can continue to improve this publication. 

Tracking progress on how our electricity is generated is critical, as it is not only a huge source of greenhouse gases, it is also needed as an enabler of a cleaner and more efficient energy system overall.

No more excuses

Foreword from Chile’s Minister of Energy, Diego Pardow

Last September, when I had been Chile’s Minister of Energy for two weeks, I had to travel to the Los Lagos region in the south of the country. In one of the activities on my schedule, I had the opportunity to meet Rodrigo Castillo, owner of a medical supply company who–thanks to a government program–was able to buy an electric car for his deliveries.

In 2019, Rodrigo faced–like the vast majority of Chileans–a significant rise in the price of fossil fuels. Added to this was an increase in inflation, which caused an overall rise in the cost of living for people.

Today, thanks to electrifying his transport, Rodrigo has managed to reduce his expenses by a third, which has made his company more competitive in his region. He is a concrete example of how the transition–in this case through electromobility–can offer not only cleaner cities and better jobs but also concrete improvements for citizens. That is what a green economy is all about.

In recent years, Chile has made important progress with respect to its transition. The latest achievements have positioned Chile as the best emerging country to invest in renewable energies, added to the high penetration of clean energies in our system, with last year’s milestone standing out that, for the first time, solar and wind overtook coal in electricity generation. 

In that respect, 2023 seems promising at a global level, especially thanks to the prediction of this report, which indicates that emissions from the electricity sector could begin to decrease as of this year. But we still have a long journey to travel, with many challenges ahead and with a clear objective: we must act quickly, always putting people at the centre. There are no more excuses.

We still have a long journey to travel, with many challenges ahead and with a clear objective: we must act quickly, always putting people at the centre. There are no more excuses.

Diego Pardow
Chile’s Minister of Energy
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1: Pathway for 1.5C
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