4 ms·

FYI, coal is still absolutely huge: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_energy_supply_and_consumption https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_energy_supply_and_

FYI, coal is still absolutely huge: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_energy_supply_and_consumption https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_energy_supply_and_cons... Don't get fooled by stats from rich countries as those countries "cheat" by importing goods and materials with large entry footprints embedded into them.

toomuchtodo 5y ago
True, but even China and India are moving to renewables rapidly. Renewables are absolutely exploding (confirmed even by the growth rate from your wiki reference) and will like replace most global fossil generation over the next 10-15 years. > By 2026, global renewable electricity capacity is forecast to rise more than 60% from 2020 levels to over 4 800 GW – equivalent to the current total global power capacity of fossil fuels and nuclear combined. Renewables are set to account for almost 95% of the increase in global power capacity through 2026, with solar PV alone providing more than half. The amount of renewable capacity added over the period of 2021 to 2026 is expected to be 50% higher than from 2015 to 2020. This is driven by stronger support from government policies and more ambitious clean energy goals announced before and during the COP26 Climate Change Conference. > The growth of renewables is forecast to increase in all regions compared with the 2015-2020 period. China remains the global leader in the volume of capacity additions: it is expected to reach 1200 GW of total wind and solar capacity in 2026 – four years earlier than its current target of 2030. India is set to come top in terms of the rate of growth, doubling new installations compared with 2015-2020. Deployments in Europe and the United States are also on track to speed up significantly from the previous five years. These four markets together account for 80% of renewable capacity expansion worldwide. https://www.iea.org/news/renewable-electricity-growth-is-accelerating-faster-than-ever-worldwide-supporting-the-emergence-of-the-new-global-energy-economy https://www.iea.org/news/renewable-electricity-growth-is-acc... (IEA: Renewable electricity growth is accelerating faster than ever worldwide, supporting the emergence of the new global energy economy)
KennyBlanken 5y ago
In the US coal has dropped from 30% of our electricity generation to 10% in barely a few years. Coal plants around the country are shutting down because of how expensive coal is compared to wind and solar. Meanwhile we had nearly 20GW of grid-scale solar and wind added in one year, and that doesn't count small installations like residential rooftop systems.
- Miner49er 5y ago
  While renewables have had an impact, hasn't it mostly been replaced by natural gas?
- barney54 5y ago
  This is not accurate. This year coal has produced 23% of US electricity. See table 7.2a. https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/ https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/
  - KennyBlanken 5y ago
    Bullshit. 2021, 72.4 Billion BTUS total use and 8.6 Billion BTUs from coal. 11%. Sorry I was off by one percent.
    - barney54 5y ago
      No, you are not looking at electricity generation. Here's the data: https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/pdf/sec7_5.pdf https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/pdf/sec7_5.pdf So far in 2021, coal has generated 719,038 million kwh out of a total of 3,142,341 million kwh.

toomuchtodo 5y ago

True, but even China and India are moving to renewables rapidly. Renewables are absolutely exploding (confirmed even by the growth rate from your wiki reference) and will like replace most global fossil generation over the next 10-15 years. > By 2026, global renewable electricity capacity is forecast to rise more than 60% from 2020 levels to over 4 800 GW – equivalent to the current total global power capacity of fossil fuels and nuclear combined. Renewables are set to account for almost 95% of the increase in global power capacity through 2026, with solar PV alone providing more than half. The amount of renewable capacity added over the period of 2021 to 2026 is expected to be 50% higher than from 2015 to 2020. This is driven by stronger support from government policies and more ambitious clean energy goals announced before and during the COP26 Climate Change Conference. > The growth of renewables is forecast to increase in all regions compared with the 2015-2020 period. China remains the global leader in the volume of capacity additions: it is expected to reach 1200 GW of total wind and solar capacity in 2026 – four years earlier than its current target of 2030. India is set to come top in terms of the rate of growth, doubling new installations compared with 2015-2020. Deployments in Europe and the United States are also on track to speed up significantly from the previous five years. These four markets together account for 80% of renewable capacity expansion worldwide. https://www.iea.org/news/renewable-electricity-growth-is-accelerating-faster-than-ever-worldwide-supporting-the-emergence-of-the-new-global-energy-economy https://www.iea.org/news/renewable-electricity-growth-is-acc... (IEA: Renewable electricity growth is accelerating faster than ever worldwide, supporting the emergence of the new global energy economy)

KennyBlanken 5y ago

In the US coal has dropped from 30% of our electricity generation to 10% in barely a few years. Coal plants around the country are shutting down because of how expensive coal is compared to wind and solar. Meanwhile we had nearly 20GW of grid-scale solar and wind added in one year, and that doesn't count small installations like residential rooftop systems.

Miner49er 5y ago
While renewables have had an impact, hasn't it mostly been replaced by natural gas?
barney54 5y ago
This is not accurate. This year coal has produced 23% of US electricity. See table 7.2a. https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/ https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/
- KennyBlanken 5y ago
  Bullshit. 2021, 72.4 Billion BTUS total use and 8.6 Billion BTUs from coal. 11%. Sorry I was off by one percent.
  - barney54 5y ago
    No, you are not looking at electricity generation. Here's the data: https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/pdf/sec7_5.pdf https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/pdf/sec7_5.pdf So far in 2021, coal has generated 719,038 million kwh out of a total of 3,142,341 million kwh.