Katerina Swanson
Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, are the backbone of the electricity system, generating 60%-64% of today's global electricity supply. They are also the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for over 75% of greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90% of carbon dioxide emissions. To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, emissions need to be reduced by almost half by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050. This means transitioning to alternative sources of energy that are clean, accessible, affordable, sustainable, and reliable. Renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, water, waste, and geothermal heat, are abundant and emit little to no greenhouse gases or pollutants. While solar and wind power have seen substantial growth in recent years, they currently face engineering challenges due to their intermittency. However, solutions such as larger power grids, demand-response strategies, and power storage technologies can help overcome these challenges. Additionally, investments in renewables create three times more jobs than in the fossil fuel industry, driving inclusive economic growth and poverty alleviation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of global electricity production from fossil fuels | 64% in 2018 |
| Largest source of electricity globally | Coal |
| Second-largest source of electricity globally | Gas |
| Percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels | Over 75% |
| Percentage of global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels | Nearly 90% |
| Percentage of global electricity production that can come from renewable energy by 2050 | 90% |
| Percentage of global electricity supply that can come from renewable energy by 2030 | 65% |
| Percentage of US electricity generation from fossil fuels in March 2025 | 49.2% |
| Percentage of US electricity generation from fossil fuels in March 2015 | 65% |
| Percentage of US electricity generation from wind and solar power in March 2025 | 24.4% |
| Percentage of US electricity generation from wind and solar power in March 2015 | 5.7% |
| Percentage of US electricity generation from solar power in March 2025 | 9.2% |
| Percentage of US electricity generation from solar power in March 2015 | 1% |
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What You'll Learn
Fossil fuels are the largest contributor to global climate change
The extensive use of fossil fuels in electricity generation, coupled with their prevalence in various aspects of modern life, such as transportation and industrial processes, has led to their significant contribution to climate change. For example, most cars, trucks, ships, and planes run on fossil fuels, making the transportation sector a major emitter of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. Similarly, the manufacturing industry relies on fossil fuels to power machines and produce materials like cement, iron, steel, plastics, and electronics, contributing to their carbon footprint.
The impact of fossil fuels on the climate is evident, with global temperatures having risen by 2°F since 1880 compared to pre-industrial times. To mitigate climate change, the scientific consensus is that emissions must be reduced by almost half by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050. This will require a substantial shift away from fossil fuels and towards alternative energy sources that are clean, accessible, affordable, sustainable, and reliable.
Renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, water, waste, and geothermal heat, offer a promising solution as they are naturally replenished and emit little to no greenhouse gases or pollutants. Despite the challenges of intermittency with wind and solar power, advancements in power grid infrastructure and energy storage technologies can address these issues. Additionally, investing in renewable energy creates three times more jobs than in the fossil fuel industry, fostering economic growth and new opportunities.
To summarize, fossil fuels are the primary driver of global climate change due to their extensive use in electricity generation and various industrial processes. To combat this, a transition to renewable energy sources is imperative, offering both environmental and economic benefits. By reducing emissions and harnessing abundant natural resources, we can work towards mitigating the worst impacts of climate change.
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Renewable energy sources are available in abundance
Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas, are the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90% of carbon dioxide emissions. To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, emissions need to be reduced by almost half by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050. This means ending our reliance on fossil fuels and investing in alternative, clean energy sources.
Hydropower, which harnesses the energy of water moving from higher to lower elevations, is currently the largest source of renewable energy in the electricity sector. Small-scale hydro is considered more environmentally friendly and is particularly suitable for remote communities.
Renewable energy sources are also more cost-effective and create more jobs. They are now cheaper in most countries and generate three times more jobs than fossil fuels. Every dollar invested in renewables creates three times more jobs than in the fossil fuel industry. With falling costs, renewable energy sources are becoming more attractive, especially for low- and middle-income countries.
The transition to renewable energy sources is key to addressing the climate crisis and creating a safer, cleaner, and more sustainable world.
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Solar and wind power are growing substantially
Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, are the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions. To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, emissions need to be reduced by almost half by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050. Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, emit little to no greenhouse gases or pollutants and are available in abundance.
Solar and wind power are growing faster than any other sources of electricity in history. In the United States, the amount of electricity produced from solar and wind power has increased significantly in recent years. In 2023, the US generated 238,121 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity from solar power, more than eight times the amount generated in 2014. Wind power has also seen substantial growth, with 425,325 GWh of electricity generated from wind installations across the country in 2023, more than doubling in the last decade. Together, these renewable energy sources generated enough electricity in 2023 to power over 61 million average American homes.
The growth of solar and wind power is expected to continue in the coming years. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that solar power generation will grow by 75% from 2023 to 2025, while wind power generation is expected to increase by 11% during the same period. New solar projects and installations of generating capacity are contributing to this growth. Solar is the fastest-growing renewable source due to larger capacity additions and favorable tax credit policies.
Offshore wind power also has the potential to grow substantially in the coming decades. While currently, only a small portion of the national electricity mix in the US is from offshore wind, with only two states having operational offshore wind facilities in 2023, several new offshore wind installations have come online in early 2024, contributing to increased capacity and generation.
The transition towards renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, offers multiple benefits. In addition to mitigating climate change, renewable energy sources can provide a way out of import dependency, drive inclusive economic growth and new jobs, and alleviate poverty.
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Nuclear energy and hydropower are also fossil-free sources
Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, are the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions. To mitigate climate change, it is imperative that we transition to cleaner sources of energy. Nuclear energy and hydropower are two fossil-free sources that can play a crucial role in this energy transition.
Nuclear energy has been a significant source of electricity generation since the 1950s. In 2023, about 19% of electricity generation in the United States came from nuclear power. Nuclear power plants generate electricity by using the heat produced from splitting atoms to create steam that drives a turbine. This process does not produce any greenhouse gases, and nuclear energy has one of the lowest median lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions among energy sources. While nuclear energy has faced safety concerns due to accidents like Chernobyl and Fukushima, the death toll from these incidents is significantly lower than the millions of deaths attributed to fossil fuel air pollution annually.
Hydropower, on the other hand, has been utilized for electricity generation for even longer. In 2017, hydropower accounted for 16% of worldwide electricity generation. Hydropower plants work by slowing the flow of river systems using dams, which then drives a turbine to generate electricity. While hydropower has a higher median greenhouse gas emission intensity compared to nuclear and wind power, it is still significantly lower than gas and coal. The most significant accident in hydropower's history was the Banqiao Dam collapse in 1975, which resulted in approximately 171,000 fatalities. However, excluding this event, hydropower has a very low death rate of 0.04 deaths per TWh, comparable to nuclear, solar, and wind energy.
Both nuclear energy and hydropower offer reliable and cost-effective alternatives to fossil fuels. They have the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions and provide clean energy to billions of people. According to the International Hydropower Association, the use of hydropower instead of fossil fuels has helped avoid more than 100 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide in the past 50 years. Similarly, nuclear energy is crucial in the transition to a sustainable world, as it can provide low-carbon electricity to sectors traditionally powered by fossil fuels, such as transport, heat, and industry.
The transition to renewable energy sources like nuclear and hydropower is not just an environmental imperative but also an economic one. Renewable energy sources are now the cheapest power option in most parts of the world. Every dollar invested in renewables creates three times more jobs than in the fossil fuel industry. As countries move towards net-zero emissions, up to 30 million jobs could be created in clean energy, efficiency, and low-emission technologies by 2030.
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Fossil fuels are hard to quit due to their energy density
Fossil fuels are the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and almost 90% of carbon dioxide emissions. Despite this, fossil fuels are still the backbone of the electricity system, generating 60-64% of today's global supply. This is because fossil fuels are hard to quit, and the main reason is their energy density.
Energy density refers to the amount of energy contained within a given volume. Fossil fuels have a high energy density, which means that a smaller weight or volume of fuel is needed to do the job. This makes them convenient and useful, especially in transportation. For example, electric vehicles are heavier than those running on fossil fuels because of the weight penalty of batteries. For passenger cars, this is not a big issue, but for aviation, maritime shipping, or long-haul trucking, the difference in energy density is a huge challenge. Electric vehicles cannot currently meet the need for these use cases.
Additionally, industrial processes that require very high heat, such as steel, cement, and glass production, are difficult to power with electricity. Fossil fuels are also valuable in these industries because of their high energy density.
The transition away from fossil fuels is further complicated by the existing infrastructure, which is built around natural gas and oil. This infrastructure was costly to build and will take time and money to replace. Furthermore, fossil fuels are still abundant and inexpensive, and there is a lot of money and power tied to their use. This makes the transition away from them technically and politically challenging, requiring bigger thinking, harder politics, and more public pressure.
In summary, fossil fuels are hard to quit due to their energy density, which makes them useful and convenient, especially in transportation and high-heat industrial processes. The existing infrastructure, the abundance and low cost of fossil fuels, and the political and technical challenges further complicate the transition to cleaner energy sources.
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Frequently asked questions
Fossil fuels generate 64% of today's global electricity supply, with coal and gas being the largest contributors. In the US, fossil fuels generated 60% of electricity in 2023.
Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, water, waste, and geothermal heat are alternatives to fossil fuels. Nuclear energy is also an alternative, although it is not renewable.
Renewable energy sources could provide 65% of the world's electricity supply by 2030 and 90% by 2050, according to estimates.
Transitioning to renewable energy can help mitigate climate change by reducing carbon emissions. It can also create more jobs, improve air quality, and drive inclusive economic growth. Additionally, it can reduce a country's dependency on fossil fuel imports and protect them from price swings.
One challenge is that renewable sources like wind and solar can only generate electricity when the wind is blowing or the sun is shining. This requires engineering solutions, such as larger power grids, demand-response strategies, and power storage technologies.
