Wind and solar's share in global power rises to 12% in 2022

Wind and solar reached a record 12% share in global electricity generation in 2022, up from 10% in 2021, according to a report released on Wednesday by energy think tank Ember.

The report also projects that the world could be on the cusp of a new era of falling fossil generation, and hence falling power sector emissions.

In 2022, solar grew 24% year-on-year, while wind increased by 17%. Together the two sources met 80% of the rise in global electricity demand.

Last year, the share of clean electricity, including renewables and nuclear, reached 39%. Coal still remained the single largest source of electricity, accounting for 36% of global electricity. Against the backdrop of a gas crisis, coal generation increased slightly by 1.1%, while gas power generation was almost unchanged, down 0.2%. As a result, power sector emissions were at an all-time high last year, increasing by 1.3%.

The report, however, projects that 2022 may be the peak of power sector emissions and the final year of fossil power growth.

With clean power growth expected to exceed electricity demand growth in 2023, Ember forecast a small 0.3% decrease in fossil generation this year, followed by bigger declines in subsequent years as wind and solar expand.

“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,” commented Ember’s senior electricity analyst, Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka.

The think-tank said that based on modelling by the International Energy Agency, the electricity sector needs to reach net zero by 2040 for an economy-wide net zero to be achieved by 2050. This would imply a 41% share of wind and solar in global electricity by 2030.

Ember's fourth annual Global Electricity Review includes data from 78 countries, representing 93% of global electricity demand.

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