Global Electricity Source Trends

In 2023, solar and wind power continued to grow, with solar producing a record 5.5% of global electricity and wind reaching 7.8%. China was the primary driver for both, accounting for 51% of solar growth and 60% of wind additions. Conversely, coal generation reached a record high of 10,434 TWh (35% of the global mix), largely due to droughts in China reducing hydropower output, which fell by a record 88 TWh. Fossil gas remained the second-largest source at 23%, with growth driven by the US. Nuclear generation saw a slight rebound to 9.1% of the mix, while bioenergy reached a record 697 TWh (2.4%). The report notes that while solar and wind are on a positive trajectory, coal and gas must decline sharply, and nuclear and hydro must accelerate growth to meet IEA Net Zero Emissions targets by 2030.

• Solar power achieved a record 5.5% (1,631 TWh) of global electricity generation in 2023, marking the eighth consecutive year of record TWh growth. China was the dominant contributor, producing 584 TWh and accounting for 51% of the global growth in solar generation in 2023.
• Global wind generation reached a record high of 2,304 TWh in 2023, representing 7.8% of the global electricity mix. China led this growth, with its 123 TWh increase accounting for 60% of all global wind generation additions in 2023.
• Coal remained the largest global electricity source in 2023, generating 10,434 TWh (35% of the mix). While the global share fell slightly by 0.3 percentage points, absolute generation reached a record high, driven significantly by China (+319 TWh) and India (+100 TWh).
• Fossil gas was the second-largest electricity source in 2023, producing 6,634 TWh (23% of the mix). The United States was the largest generator (1,802 TWh), and its growth of 115 TWh prevented a global decline in gas generation.
• Hydropower experienced a record fall of 88 TWh (-2.0%) in 2023, dropping to a five-year low of 4,210 TWh (14% of the mix). This decline was primarily driven by China, where hydro fell by 59 TWh due to drought conditions, which subsequently increased coal reliance.
• Nuclear generation rose slightly by 1.8% to 2,686 TWh in 2023, making up 9.1% of the global mix. The US, China, and France together accounted for 58% of global nuclear power generation.
• Bioenergy reached a record high of 697 TWh in 2023, though it remains a small part of the mix at 2.4%. China was the largest producer (204 TWh), while the US saw the largest decline in generation (-4.4 TWh).
• To align with the IEA Net Zero Emissions (NZE) scenario by 2030, solar generation must grow at an average annual rate of 26% and wind at 16.2%. Conversely, coal generation must decrease by an average of 8.5% annually, and gas must fall by 1% per year.

APA

Ember (2024). Global Electricity Source Trends. https://ember-energy.org/chapter/global-electricity-source-trends/

Chicago

Ember. Global Electricity Source Trends. 2024. https://ember-energy.org/chapter/global-electricity-source-trends/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Ember |title=Global Electricity Source Trends |date=8 May 2024 |url=https://ember-energy.org/chapter/global-electricity-source-trends/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ember2024global, author = {{Ember}}, title = {{Global Electricity Source Trends}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://ember-energy.org/chapter/global-electricity-source-trends/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }