Sylvie Willis
Fossil fuels remain the primary source of electricity worldwide, despite the rapid growth of renewable energy sources. In 2023, over 60% of global electricity was produced by burning fossil fuels, specifically coal, natural gas, and petroleum. This has remained relatively unchanged over the past few decades, with nuclear energy's decline offsetting the progress made by renewables. While some countries, such as Sweden, Norway, and France, get over 90% of their electricity from nuclear or renewable sources, many other countries still rely heavily on fossil fuels. The continued use of fossil fuels for electricity generation contributes significantly to climate change and air pollution, underscoring the need for a transition to cleaner energy sources.
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What You'll Learn
Fossil fuels are the primary source of global electricity
While the share of electricity generated from renewable sources has nearly tripled since 2019, it has yet to surpass the 40% threshold. In contrast, fossil fuels, particularly coal, continue to be the dominant source of electricity in many countries. For example, in Asia, coal's share of the electricity generation mix has remained flat at around 56%, with strong growth observed in China, India, and other countries.
The continued reliance on fossil fuels is concerning due to their environmental and health impacts. Burning carbon-based fuels releases large amounts of carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change, and produces other pollutants, such as oxides of sulphur and nitrogen, which cause air pollution and adverse health effects.
However, there are challenges and limitations to transitioning entirely to renewable energy sources. For instance, while hydroelectric power plants can generate significant amounts of low-carbon electricity, the number of suitable sites for new large-scale dams is limited. Additionally, the production and transportation of biomass, another renewable source, can result in high greenhouse gas emissions and land use issues.
Despite these challenges, some countries have made significant progress in adopting renewable energy sources. For example, Norway, Sweden, and France are among the countries that obtain over 90% of their electricity from nuclear or renewable sources. These countries have largely relied on hydroelectric and nuclear energy to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.
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Coal is the largest source of electricity globally
Despite the ongoing aggressive rollout of renewable energy sources in every major economy, fossil fuels remain the primary source of global electricity. Over 60% of global electricity generated so far in 2023 was produced by fossil fuels, with coal being the largest source of electricity production, followed by gas.
In the United States, about 60% of electricity generation in 2023 was from fossil fuels, with coal being one of them. In Asia, coal's share has remained flat at around 56%, with average monthly output increasing from around 590 TWh in 2019 to 686 TWh in 2023. China, India, and other countries have experienced strong growth in coal usage.
While coal's share of the total electricity generation mix has declined in Europe and North America, it still contributes significantly to electricity production. In 2023, coal-fired power stations generated roughly 36% of global electricity, a slight decrease from the previous year, but still a dominant source for many countries.
Hydropower and nuclear power are the largest contributors to low-carbon electricity production, with nuclear power being the largest source of electricity for countries like France, which obtains around three-quarters of its electricity from it. Wind, solar, and other renewable technologies are growing quickly and are hoped to account for a larger share of electricity production in the future.
The transition away from fossil fuels is crucial, as they are the largest source of global carbon dioxide emissions. Countries with a large share of their electricity from low-carbon sources will have a lower carbon intensity, contributing to the reduction of global carbon emissions.
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Nuclear power is an environmentally-friendly alternative
Fossil fuels, including coal, natural gas, petroleum, and other gases, remain the primary source of global electricity. In 2023, about 60% of electricity in the United States was generated from fossil fuels, with similar trends observed globally. However, nuclear power is increasingly being recognised as an environmentally-friendly alternative to fossil fuels.
Nuclear power is a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. Nuclear energy is generated through nuclear fission, which involves splitting uranium atoms to produce energy. This process releases heat, which creates steam to spin a turbine and generate electricity without the harmful byproducts emitted by fossil fuels. Nuclear power plants produce no direct greenhouse gas emissions during operation, and nuclear fuel is extremely dense, resulting in a relatively small amount of waste compared to other energy sources.
Nuclear energy plays a crucial role in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and combating climate change. According to the Nuclear Energy Institute, the United States avoided more than 471 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2020 through the use of nuclear energy, which is equivalent to removing a significant number of cars from the road. Nuclear power is also considered a green source of energy by the European Commission, as it is clean and emission-free.
While nuclear waste is a concern, it is still considered an easier environmental problem to solve than climate change. Up to 90% of nuclear waste can be recycled, and advanced reactor designs are being developed to operate on used fuel. Additionally, nuclear energy requires less land compared to other clean-air sources to produce massive amounts of carbon-free power.
Nuclear power has been a significant alternative to fossil fuels since the 1950s, when the first nuclear plants started operations. Today, nuclear energy meets around 10% of global energy demand, with 439 operational nuclear plants in 32 countries. Countries such as Sweden, Norway, France, Paraguay, Iceland, and Nepal rely heavily on nuclear and renewable energy sources, with over 90% of their electricity generated from these sources. Nuclear power provides a reliable, large-scale, and affordable source of electricity, making it a viable alternative to fossil fuels in the transition towards a cleaner energy future.
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Hydroelectric power is a low-carbon electricity source
Fossil fuels remain the primary source of global electricity, with coal and gas being the most common. In 2023, fossil fuels accounted for about 60% of global electricity production. However, there are still some countries that get over 90% of their electricity from nuclear or renewable sources, such as Sweden, Norway, France, Paraguay, Iceland, and Nepal. Hydroelectric power, or hydropower, is one such renewable, low-carbon source of electricity.
Hydroelectricity is generated from hydropower or water power. It is a flexible source of energy because the amount of electricity produced can be increased or decreased in response to demand. This is done by releasing water from a reservoir through a turbine. Hydroelectricity has a low carbon footprint because it does not produce carbon dioxide or other flue gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion, such as sulfur dioxide, nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, dust, and mercury in coal.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) found that hydropower has a median greenhouse gas emission intensity of 24 gCO₂-eq/kWh over its life cycle, which is much lower than the median figure for gas at 490 gCO₂-eq/kWh. The use of hydropower instead of fossil fuels has helped to avoid more than 100 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide in the past 50 years. If hydropower were replaced with burning coal, more than 4 billion metric tonnes of additional greenhouse gases would be emitted annually.
However, hydropower is not without its drawbacks. The construction of dams and reservoirs can have a negative impact on the environment, including the migration and movement of aquatic organisms and the flooding of massive areas within a river valley. Additionally, while hydroelectricity does not produce direct waste, it does emit some greenhouse gases during construction and from the annual release of methane from reservoirs. The impact of these emissions is greater in tropical regions, where reservoirs produce larger amounts of methane.
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Renewable energy sources are growing
Despite fossil fuels remaining the primary source of global electricity, renewable energy sources are experiencing rapid growth. In 2023, renewable electricity capacity grew at a record rate, with annual additions of around 560 GW. This growth is largely driven by the expansion of wind and solar PV capacity, with solar PV accounting for about 70% of the increase in renewable electricity generation in 2023. The remaining growth came from wind generation, while hydropower generation decreased.
The electricity sector is witnessing the most significant advancements in renewables, with solar photovoltaics and wind power witnessing strong development in recent years, building on the already substantial contribution of hydropower. Global renewable electricity generation is projected to surpass 17,000 terawatt-hours (TWh) by the end of this decade, marking an increase of almost 90% from 2023 levels. This growth is expected to be facilitated by policies such as REPowerEU in the European Union, the Inflation Reduction Act in the United States, and China's initiatives for renewable energy.
On a global level, hydropower is the largest modern renewable energy source, but wind and solar power are expanding swiftly. In 2025, renewable energy sources are predicted to surpass coal-fired generation, and by 2026, wind and solar power are each expected to exceed nuclear power generation. By 2030, renewable energy sources could provide up to 65% of the world's electricity supply, and by 2050, they could potentially supply 90% of the world's electricity.
The shift towards renewable energy sources is crucial for mitigating climate change and reducing local air pollution. Renewable energy sources emit little to no greenhouse gases and are often cheaper than fossil fuels. Additionally, renewable energy offers economic benefits, such as driving inclusive economic growth, creating new jobs, and alleviating poverty.
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Frequently asked questions
In 2023, over 60% of global electricity was generated using fossil fuels.
Fossil fuels are fuels that are formed from the remains of dead plants and animals that existed millions of years ago. Fossil fuels include coal, oil, and gas.
Coal is the largest source of electricity production globally, followed by gas.
Alternatives to fossil fuels include nuclear power and renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal.
