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In 2022, global electricity generation remained dominated by fossil fuels at 61%, though wind and solar reached a record 12% share. Despite record growth in renewables, global power sector emissions hit an all-time high of 12,431 mtCO2, driven by rising demand in major economies like China and India. The report highlights a gap between current trends and the IEA Net Zero Emissions scenario, which requires a rapid phase-out of unabated coal and gas by 2035-2040.

In 2022, China's power demand grew by 4.4% (374 TWh), with wind and solar generation increasing by 26% to meet 69% of the net demand increase. Despite this clean energy growth, coal generation reached an all-time high in absolute terms (5,420 TWh), though its share of the electricity mix fell to 61%. Since 2000, China's total power sector emissions have increased fivefold to 4,694 MtCO2, even as emissions intensity declined by 21%. To reach a net zero power sector by 2040, China would need to reduce emissions by 261 million tonnes of CO2 annually.

In 2022, global electricity reached its lowest emissions intensity ever at 436 gCO2/kWh, with wind and solar hitting a record 12% of generation. Despite this, total power sector CO2 emissions reached a record high of 12,431 mtCO2 because wind and solar growth could not fully keep pace with a 2.5% increase in global electricity demand. This gap was filled by coal and other fossils, with coal generation rising by 108 TWh to a record 10,186 TWh. While clean electricity sources other than wind and solar saw their first year-on-year decline since 2011 due to nuclear outages and droughts, 2022 is characterized as an 'accelerator year' due to policy shifts like the EU's REPowerEU and the US Inflation Reduction Act.

The global electricity system is transitioning toward clean energy, with wind and solar emerging as dominant forces. In 2022, wind and solar met 80% of the increase in global electricity demand. However, other clean sources like nuclear and hydro are underperforming relative to 1.5°C pathways. The report predicts a structural tipping point as soon as 2023, where clean power growth may finally exceed total electricity demand growth, leading to an enduring decline in fossil fuel generation. While coal plant closures have slowed, particularly in China and India, the report suggests a simultaneous phasedown of both coal and gas power is becoming likely, especially in G7 countries and Asia due to energy security and cost concerns.

The report analyzes Türkiye's shift in renewable energy generation from the hydro-rich east to the wind and solar-rich west and center. It highlights the vulnerability of the energy system to droughts, which historically force a reliance on imported gas. While Konya has seen massive solar growth due to the Karapınar plant, other high-potential southern provinces like Antalya and Van remain underutilized. The report advocates for more ambitious wind and solar targets to ensure energy security and meet net-zero goals.

The paper examines the transformation of German-African energy relations, moving from a focus on energy poverty and development aid to a complex mix of energy diplomacy, strategic resource interests, and hydrogen technology. It highlights a tension between 'green objectives' (renewables) and 'fossilist objectives' (LNG imports), while warning against 'energy colonialism' in large-scale projects. The author advocates for a transition toward 'energy justice' and a value-chain approach to hydrogen to ensure equitable benefits for African nations.

In 2022, wind and solar reached a record 12% share of global electricity, driving carbon intensity to a record low of 436 gCO2/kWh. However, absolute power sector emissions reached an all-time high of 12,431 mtCO2 because clean power growth did not fully meet rising global demand, which grew by 2.5% (+694 TWh). While coal generation rose by 1.1% to a record 10,186 TWh, the report forecasts that 2023 could be the first year of structural decline in fossil generation and the peak for power sector emissions. The analysis highlights a significant gap between current growth and the IEA NZE pathway, which requires wind and solar to reach 41% of global generation by 2030.

The report examines the implementation of the Section 45V hydrogen production tax credit from the Inflation Reduction Act. It argues that loose guidance on emissions accounting could lead to significant increases in greenhouse gas emissions and create an industry reliant on subsidies. The authors propose a framework based on three principles: additionality (requiring new clean energy sources), deliverability (requiring local, physically deliverable power), and time-matching (requiring hourly alignment of production and generation). Financial analysis of test sites in Texas, Minnesota, and Houston suggests that projects adhering to these strict standards remain profitable, particularly in regions with high wind and solar resource quality.

Barbados is partnering with Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) to create an Energy Transition and Investment Plan (ETIP). This plan aims to transition the island from a heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels—which accounted for nearly 95 percent of the energy mix in 2019—toward 100 percent renewable energy and full electrification of transport. The initiative focuses on evaluating technological pathways, scoping investment needs, and addressing human capacity gaps to ensure a just transition and energy independence.

In 2022, solar and wind energy accounted for 92% of India's new power generation capacity, totaling 15.7 GW, while coal additions dropped by 78% compared to 2021. Solar energy was the primary driver, adding 13.9 GW in a single year. Rajasthan and Gujarat emerged as the leading states, together contributing 8.6 GW of solar capacity and accounting for one-third of India's national 2030 renewable energy capacity target of 450 GW. Rajasthan set a state-level record by adding 6.7 GW of combined solar and wind capacity in 2022.

In 2022, Türkiye's coal generation returned to its previous peak of 113.6 TWh, driven largely by imported coal, with Russia becoming the primary supplier and the import bill reaching a record $5.3 billion. While wind and solar combined for a 15.5% share of generation, solar deployment lags behind its potential and faces grid capacity barriers. Hydropower proved critical for energy security during a ten-day gas supply disruption from Iran in January 2022, demonstrating its flexibility as a complement to variable renewables.

The document analyzes plans for €3.5 billion in new gas-fired power plants, pipelines, and LNG terminals in the Western Balkans. It argues that these projects, promoted by EU and U.S. institutions, would create a dependency on volatile gas markets and risk creating stranded assets, contradicting the region's carbon-neutral goals and the EU's 2050 targets.

Colombia possesses significant wind and solar potential, estimated at 30 GW and 32 GW respectively, though installed capacity remained low at approximately 1.5% of the electrical matrix in 2022. A strong increase is projected by 2027, potentially reaching nearly 40% of capacity if approved projects are operationalized. The document details a robust incentive framework including tax deductions and VAT exemptions, alongside mechanisms for community benefit distribution and indigenous rights. While investment reached record levels in 2021, the sector faces challenges in gender representation and the need for stronger policies to ensure local employment and social equity.

Colombia possesses significant wind and solar potential, particularly in the La Guajira region, though these sources represented only 1.5% of the capacity mix in 2022. The document details a robust framework of incentives—including tax deductions and VAT exemptions—and predicts that approved projects could increase the solar and wind share of the capacity mix to nearly 40% by 2027. It also examines financing mechanisms, environmental licensing, and the integration of social safeguards such as Free Prior Informed Consent and benefit-sharing schemes for Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities.

The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) provides grants and loan guarantees to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements. Funded through the 2018 Farm Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act, the program supports technologies such as solar, wind, and biomass, and implements a tiered application process based on project cost.

One year after the invasion of Ukraine, the EU has substituted nearly 75% of Russian gas imports and seen wind and solar generate a record 22% of its electricity in 2022. Globally, gas demand is forecast to peak by the end of the decade, with 88% of electricity demand growth to 2025 expected to be met by renewables. While renewable energy saved billions in fossil fuel costs, high gas and coal prices drove 90% of the global increase in electricity costs in 2022. Russia faces significant financial losses from sanctions, including a USD 25 billion public deficit in January 2023, while EU industrial production grew by over 2% on average despite a 15% drop in industrial gas demand.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the EU saw a record increase in wind and solar generation, which together provided 23% of total electricity. This growth saved the EU €12 billion in avoided gas costs and contributed to a significant drop in Russian gas import reliance, from approximately 40% before the invasion to 16% in the period analyzed.

The report finds that U.S. solar and wind capacity grew to over 238 GW in 2022, generating 683,130 GWh of electricity. Texas and California emerged as the primary drivers of this growth, with Texas leading in wind capacity and generation, and California leading in solar generation. While historical growth rates might leave the U.S. short of 2030 benchmarks set by the Net-Zero America project, the report suggests that the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides the necessary incentives to accelerate the transition toward the 2050 net-zero goal.

In 2022, China experienced a dramatic surge in coal power project activity, permitting 106 GW of new capacity—the highest level since 2015. While 50 GW started construction, representing six times the capacity of the rest of the world combined, the trend is driven by rising peak electricity loads and a rigid grid paradigm. Despite claims that new plants are for "supporting" grid stability, evidence suggests they are intended for baseload use. This expansion occurs alongside record clean energy additions, but risks undermining China's carbon neutrality goals if it leads to a moderation of clean energy buildout or increased CO2 emissions.

In 2022, the EU electricity mix was led by nuclear (22%), gas (20%), coal (16%), and wind (15%), with solar accounting for 7.3%. While solar and wind continued their long-term growth trends, nuclear and hydro experienced significant declines due to plant closures and drought. Coal saw a temporary increase to offset these losses, while gas remained the only fossil fuel to show growth over the last two decades.