Electricity Transition in 2023

In 2023, the share of renewables in the global electricity mix exceeded 30% for the first time, driven by record solar and wind generation. Despite this, total power sector emissions reached a record high of 14,153 million tonnes of CO2 because clean growth could not fully meet rising demand and was hampered by a record fall in hydropower. While carbon intensity hit a record low of 480 gCO2/kWh, fossil generation increased by 135 TWh, primarily in emerging economies like China and India where droughts reduced hydro output.

• Renewable energy's share of the global electricity mix surpassed 30% for the first time in 2023, with 102 countries reaching a renewable generation share of 30% or higher. When combined with nuclear power, low-carbon sources provided 39.4% of global electricity.
• Wind and solar generation reached a record high of 13.4% (3,935 TWh) of the global mix in 2023. China was the dominant driver, contributing 51% of additional global solar generation and 60% of new global wind generation.
• Global hydropower generation fell to a five-year low of 4,210 TWh, with its share of the electricity mix dropping to 14.3%. This decline was driven by droughts, particularly affecting Mexico (42% fall), India (15% fall), and Viet Nam (20% fall).
• Global electricity demand rose by 627 TWh (+2.2%) to a record 29,471 TWh, though the growth rate was below the previous decade's average of 2.5%. China and India were the primary drivers of demand growth, while demand fell in the US (-1.4%), EU (-3.4%), and Japan (-1.9%).
• Although the carbon intensity of global power generation hit a record low of 480 gCO2/kWh, total power sector emissions rose by 1% to a record 14,153 million tonnes of CO2. This was due to a 135 TWh increase in absolute fossil generation to meet the demand gap left by clean sources and the hydro shortfall.

APA

Ember (2024). Electricity Transition in 2023. https://ember-energy.org/chapter/electricity-transition-in-2023/

Chicago

Ember. Electricity Transition in 2023. 2024. https://ember-energy.org/chapter/electricity-transition-in-2023/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Ember |title=Electricity Transition in 2023 |date=8 May 2024 |url=https://ember-energy.org/chapter/electricity-transition-in-2023/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ember2024electricity, author = {{Ember}}, title = {{Electricity Transition in 2023}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://ember-energy.org/chapter/electricity-transition-in-2023/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }