Fossil fuels are losing

 From Need to Know

One Third of All Energy Used is Now Clean Energy

The chart above shows that 33 countries generate more than 50% of their electricity from solar and wind. Surprising, right?

Here’s another big surprise: 32% of total energy use worldwide comes from renewable sources.

In other words, one-third of all energy used today is being met by zero-carbon sources.*

The transition to clean energy is well underway.

There is a lot of misinformation and disinfo about energy. Clarification of some terms is necessary:

The term energy includes electricity and liquid fuels like gasoline.

Energy generation or energy production (also called primary energy) is the amount of energy generated/produced by an energy source, such as a coal power plant or solar panel.

Energy consumption (sometimes called energy demand or final energy) is the amount of energy used to perform tasks such as moving a bus.

It is important to know the difference. Here’s why:

Two cars of similar size, driving the same distance.

One is gasoline-powered, the other electric.

The electric vehicle will consume or use 75% less energy. Why is that? Burning gasoline generates a lot of energy, but 65% of that energy is lost as waste heat. Also, electric motors are inherently more efficient.

Bottom line: You can travel the same distance using 75% less energy with an EV. **

(Bonus: no air pollution and very little CO2 added to the atmosphere.)

Building new solar/wind farms is cheaper than operating existing coal plants

The costs of wind, solar, and batteries have plummeted. It is now cheaper to build and operate new wind and solar farms than to keep many existing coal plants operating.

That’s why 93% investments in all new electricity generation in 2024 went into wind and solar.

Also, 1 in 5 cars sold in 2024 was an EV or hybrid. This year it’s expected to be in 1 in 4 vehicles sold. (In China, it is 1 in 2. )

56 Countries get most of their electricity from clean energy

The chart below includes other sources of producing clean electricity, such as hydro. 56 countries now get 50% or more of their electricity from clean energy sources. (Note: electricity and “power” are often used interchangeably, although that’s technically incorrect.)

67.3% of the energy generated in the U.S. is wasted

The main thing to keep in mind in the complex world of energy is that burning fossil fuels wastes 65% of the energy they produce. (See chart from the U.S. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory — 67.3% of All Energy Generated in the U.S. is Wasted.)

 

 

 * Note: Some of this post is drawn from energy expert Michael Liebreich’s excellent essay “The Five Horsemen and Five Superheroes”.

** Here’s Liebreich’s more detailed car comparison:

Say your VW Golf is managing 40 miles per gallon, a pretty normal figure for real-life usage. This translates to 1kWh/mile or, after accounting for losses in extracting, refining and distributing your fuel, 1.2kWh/mile. The equivalent electric VW ID3, after adjusting for grid and charging losses, uses just 0.3 kWh/mile. By switching, you have achieved a 75% reduction in Primary Energy Demand and opened up a route to eliminate 100% of emissions from driving – with no reduction in mobility.