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If we look at the UK grid, renewables currently supply about 30% of electricity. This headline [1] from 2014 shows less coal being burnt than the industrial rev

If we look at the UK grid, renewables currently supply about 30% of electricity. This headline [1] from 2014 shows less coal being burnt than the industrial revolution, coal in 2014 also made up 30% [2]. So essentially, in the UK we could power the industrial revolution with the renewables installed today, except we can probably do better because an electric motor is more efficient than a steam engine. [1] https://www.carbonbrief.org/uk-coal-use-to-fall-to-lowest-level-since-industrial-revolution https://www.carbonbrief.org/uk-coal-use-to-fall-to-lowest-le... [2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_the_United_Kingdom https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_the_United_Kingdom

dogma1138 7y ago
Renewables are about 35% of the electricity production in the U.K. (they are much smaller of the total energy consumption due to heating) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/812626/Press_Notice_June_19.pdf https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/... The overall trend is that renewables and gas would hit the 45-45% mark soon enough for electricity production since coal plants are closing and almost no new nuclear plants are being built, and existing one will shut down.
- benj111 7y ago
  Still works out though? renewables ~30% of electricity now, coal 30% of electricity when it undertook the industrial revolution. I'm making the assumption that the industrial revolution was overwhelmingly powered by coal, which seems reasonable, I'm not sure how to go about accounting for horses though.
  - dogma1138 7y ago
    It was but it’s also not a super interesting figure, burning coal today and during the industrial revolution is completely different and so is the reason why we stopped it it’s less about the environment and more about newer more efficient gas turbines and and cheap North Sea gas as well access to Russian natural gas resources post Cold War. If you look at when coal usage in Europe started to slow down it ties directly to those two sources rather than an environmental policy. Despite the availability of renewables the need for energy isn’t slowing down so the total emissions while dampened a bit aren’t slowing down that much either, at least not because of that.
    - benj111 7y ago
      I thought it was an interesting figure. The amount of renewables we have now would have been sufficient for all but the last 150 years, it puts it in context, and indicates to me it probably is possible to move to 100% renewables. Obviously that is a point of view though, and we are free to disagree :)

dogma1138 7y ago

Renewables are about 35% of the electricity production in the U.K. (they are much smaller of the total energy consumption due to heating) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/812626/Press_Notice_June_19.pdf https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/... The overall trend is that renewables and gas would hit the 45-45% mark soon enough for electricity production since coal plants are closing and almost no new nuclear plants are being built, and existing one will shut down.

benj111 7y ago
Still works out though? renewables ~30% of electricity now, coal 30% of electricity when it undertook the industrial revolution. I'm making the assumption that the industrial revolution was overwhelmingly powered by coal, which seems reasonable, I'm not sure how to go about accounting for horses though.
- dogma1138 7y ago
  It was but it’s also not a super interesting figure, burning coal today and during the industrial revolution is completely different and so is the reason why we stopped it it’s less about the environment and more about newer more efficient gas turbines and and cheap North Sea gas as well access to Russian natural gas resources post Cold War. If you look at when coal usage in Europe started to slow down it ties directly to those two sources rather than an environmental policy. Despite the availability of renewables the need for energy isn’t slowing down so the total emissions while dampened a bit aren’t slowing down that much either, at least not because of that.
  - benj111 7y ago
    I thought it was an interesting figure. The amount of renewables we have now would have been sufficient for all but the last 150 years, it puts it in context, and indicates to me it probably is possible to move to 100% renewables. Obviously that is a point of view though, and we are free to disagree :)