Mercedes Mullins
Fossil fuels are a major source of energy for electricity generation worldwide. In 2017, they generated 64.5% of electricity globally, with coal and gas being the predominant sources. Fossil fuels are favoured due to their high energy density, reliability, and affordability. However, burning carbon-based fuels releases large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, contributing significantly to climate change and air pollution. As a result, there is a growing shift towards low-carbon and renewable energy sources, such as hydropower, nuclear, wind, and solar. While some countries have made significant progress in transitioning away from fossil fuels, others still heavily rely on them for electricity production, highlighting the ongoing challenge of balancing energy needs with environmental sustainability.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of global electricity production from fossil fuels | 64.5% in 2017; majority in 2020 |
| Sources of fossil fuels | Coal, oil, natural gas, and other gases |
| Percentage of electricity production from coal | 67.8% in Canada in 2016; 9.3% in Canada in 2016; 25% in Ontario in 2003; 14.6% in Canada in 2016; 58.8% in Canada in 2016 |
| Percentage of electricity production from natural gas | 28.9% in Canada in 2016; 9.6% in Canada in 2016; 14.6% in Canada in 2016 |
| Percentage of electricity production from oil | 3.2% in Canada in 2016; 0.5% in Canada in 2016; 0.5% in Canada in 2016 |
| Percentage of electricity production from other fossil fuels | 0.5% from diesel in Canada in 2016 |
| Percentage of global electricity production from low-carbon sources | 33%+ in 2020; 10.5% from nuclear power in 2018; 4.4% from wind in 2017; 1.3% from solar in 2017 |
| Countries with high shares of low-carbon electricity | Sweden, Norway, France, Paraguay, Iceland, and Nepal |
| Pollutants from fossil fuels | Carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide |
| Advantages of fossil fuels | Energy dense, cheap to build, reliable |
| Disadvantages of fossil fuels | High social cost, contributes to climate change, causes air pollution, potential supply issues, volatile prices |
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What You'll Learn
Fossil fuels are the largest source of electricity production
Fossil fuel power plants burn coal or oil to create heat, which generates steam to drive turbines that generate electricity. Gas plants use hot gases to drive a turbine, and combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plants also use a steam generator to increase electricity production. Fossil fuels are favoured due to their high energy density, and they are generally cheap to build and reliable over long periods. However, burning carbon-based fuels produces large amounts of carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change and causing air pollution.
While some countries are transitioning to low-carbon sources, such as hydropower, nuclear, wind, and solar, others still rely heavily on fossil fuels. In 2016, Canada obtained 9.3% of its electricity from coal, 9.6% from natural gas, and 0.5% from oil and diesel. In the US, about 60% of electricity generation in 2023 was from fossil fuels, with coal, natural gas, and petroleum being the main sources.
The shift from fossil fuels to renewable sources is evident in certain countries, such as the UK, where coal's contribution has dwindled to a mere couple of percent. The growing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and the expansion of renewable energy sources are driving this transition. However, it is important to consider the carbon cost of producing electricity from fossil fuels and the resulting emissions during the manufacturing process of batteries for EVs.
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Fossil fuel plants require large quantities of coal, oil or gas
Fossil fuel plants require very large quantities of coal, oil, or gas to generate electricity. In 2017, fossil fuels generated 64.5% of electricity worldwide, with coal and gas being the predominant sources. This is because fossil fuel power plants burn coal or oil to create heat, which is then used to generate steam to drive turbines that generate electricity. Gas plants, on the other hand, use hot gases to drive a turbine to generate electricity, and combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plants also employ a steam generator to increase electricity production.
The large quantities of fuel needed for fossil fuel plants often have to be transported over long distances, which can lead to supply issues. The price of these fuels can be volatile and susceptible to sharp increases during shortages or geopolitical instability. This, in turn, affects generation costs and consumer prices.
While fossil fuel plants are generally cheap to build and provide reliable electricity over long periods, they produce significant amounts of carbon dioxide and other pollutants, contributing to climate change and air pollution. The shift away from fossil fuels towards low-carbon sources, such as nuclear and renewable energy, is evident in some countries. For example, the UK has significantly reduced its reliance on coal for electricity generation, moving towards hydropower, nuclear, and renewables.
Nuclear power plants, which use heat from splitting atoms to generate steam and drive turbines, provide an environmentally-friendly alternative to fossil fuels. They produce minimal greenhouse gas emissions and can operate for extended periods without interruption, making nuclear electricity affordable and reliable. Additionally, some countries, like Sweden, Norway, and France, obtain over 90% of their electricity from nuclear and renewable sources.
Renewable sources like wind, solar, and small-scale hydro are also gaining traction, although they currently provide a smaller share of the world's electricity due to their reliance on weather conditions. Nevertheless, the goal is for these low-carbon technologies to play a more significant role in electricity production in the future, reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and mitigating their environmental impacts.
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Fossil fuels are energy-dense
Fossil fuels—coal, oil, and gas—are the largest source of global carbon dioxide emissions. In 2017, they generated 64.5% of electricity worldwide, with coal and gas being the predominant sources. In 2023, about 60% of electricity generation in the United States was from fossil fuels.
Liquid hydrocarbons, such as gasoline, diesel, and kerosene, are the densest way to store and transport chemical energy at a large scale. For example, 1 kg of diesel fuel burns with the oxygen contained in approximately 15 kg of air. This makes fossil fuels efficient for energy generation, as a small amount of fuel can produce a large amount of energy.
Crude oil is another example of an energy-dense fossil fuel. One kilogram of crude oil allows a car to drive approximately 20 km. This energy density makes crude oil useful for transportation, as it can power vehicles over long distances.
Nuclear fuels, such as 235Uranium, are even more energy-dense than fossil fuels. A kilogram of nuclear fuel could power a car for 1.77 million km, which is enough to travel from the Earth to the moon and back, twice. While nuclear fuels are incredibly energy-dense, they are not a widely used energy source, with nuclear power generating only 10.5% of the world's electricity in 2018.
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Fossil fuels are a common energy source in Canada
Fossil fuels have been the dominant energy source for most countries since the Industrial Revolution. However, countries are now trying to shift away from fossil fuels towards low-carbon sources of energy, such as nuclear or renewable energy, including hydropower, solar, and wind. This transition is driven by the need to reduce CO2 emissions and exposure to local air pollution, which is responsible for millions of premature deaths annually.
Canada is one of the world's most attractive energy centres for investment and development due to its oil, natural gas, and coal resources. However, the country is facing new requirements to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and address the impacts of climate change. While Canada's energy mix varies by province and territory, fossil fuels are indeed a common energy source in the country.
Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and Nunavut generate most of their electricity from fossil fuels like natural gas, coal, or petroleum. In 2023, Canadian refineries consumed 1.6 million barrels per day of crude oil, with Alberta having the largest share of refining capacity at 30%. Additionally, the Irving Oil Refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick, is Canada's largest refinery, with a capacity of 320,000 barrels per day.
However, Canada is also exploring alternative energy sources. For example, several hydrogen projects are in the planning phase in Alberta, and Suncor Energy has partnered with ATCO to produce low-carbon hydrogen. In Ontario, the Enbridge-Cummins energy storage facility can store excess renewable energy as hydrogen, and wind farms and solar photovoltaic panels are also contributing an increasing share of electricity generation.
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Fossil fuels contribute to climate change
Fossil fuels are the dominant source of global carbon dioxide emissions. When fossil fuels are burned to generate electricity, they release large amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. This carbon was removed from the atmosphere and oceans by organisms millions of years ago, and its return to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide is much faster than the rate at which it can be removed by the carbon cycle. As a result, carbon dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect and causing global warming.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has found that emissions from fossil fuels are the dominant cause of global warming. In 2018, 89% of global carbon dioxide emissions came from fossil fuels and industry. Coal is the largest contributor to global temperature rise, responsible for over 0.3 degrees Celsius of the 1-degree increase in global average temperatures. Oil is also a significant contributor, accounting for approximately a third of the world's total carbon emissions. Natural gas, while promoted as a cleaner alternative to coal and oil, is still a fossil fuel and accounts for a fifth of the world's total carbon emissions.
The burning of fossil fuels has far-reaching effects on our climate and ecosystems. It contributes to ocean acidification, as some of the excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere dissolves in the ocean. It also increases the reflectivity of the atmosphere, although the net effect is warming because the cooling effect is small compared to the heating caused by the greenhouse effect. The warming caused by the greenhouse effect leads to rising sea levels, extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, species extinction, food scarcity, and worsening health and poverty for millions worldwide.
In addition to carbon dioxide, burning fossil fuels releases other pollutants such as oxides of sulphur and nitrogen, which cause acid rain. Fossil fuel companies are huge polluters, producing and selling fossil fuel products while scientists advocate for a mass switch to renewable energy. To mitigate climate change, the IPCC warns that fossil fuel emissions must be halved within 11 years if global warming is to be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
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Frequently asked questions
In 2016, 67.8% of Canada’s electricity generation greenhouse gas emissions came from coal, with 28.9% from natural gas and 3.2% from oil and diesel. In 2017, fossil fuels generated 64.5% of electricity worldwide. In 2023, about 60% of electricity generation in the United States was from fossil fuels.
Fossil fuels are the remains of long-dead plants and animals. They include coal, oil, and gas.
Fossil fuel plants burn coal or oil to create heat, which is used to generate steam to drive turbines that generate electricity. Gas plants use hot gases to drive a turbine to generate electricity.
Fossil fuels are easy to use, cheap, and energy-dense. They have been a common source of energy for electricity generation, powering the Industrial Revolution and improving the quality of life around the world.
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