Renewables provide record 32 per cent of global electricity

• 9 days ago (2025-04-08)
• David Flin

Renewables 790

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The energy think tank Ember has produced a report, the Global Electricity Review, which states that renewable power generation provided a record 32 per cent of global electricity in 2024, with overall electricity demand growing 4 per cent, the increase being largely driven by heatwaves and data centres.

Euan Graham, electricity and data analyst with Ember, said that energy security fears, exacerbated by US President Trump’s sweeping imposition of tariffs, could further boost demand for renewable power in 2025.

Ember’s report showed that the 32 per cent in 2024 exceeded the previous year’s record of 30 per cent.

The report showed that the rise in electricity consumption for artificial intelligence, data centres, electric vehicles, and heat pumps contributed 0.7 per cent of the global demand growth last year. Heatwaves in 2024 increased electricity demand for cooling, which added a further 0.7 per cent, or 208 TWh, to the global total.

Gas-fired power plants account for 22 per cent of global electricity production, little changed from 2023. Coal remained the largest source of generation at 34 per cent of the global share, down from 36 per cent. Nuclear power accounted for 9 per cent, down slightly from 9.1 per cent in 2023.