Wind and solar reach 12% of the global energy mix

Wind and solar energy have reached a record 12% of global electricity production, energy think tank Ember announced in its Global Electricity Review on Wednesday.

Renewable energy, including nuclear, reached a record 39% of the worldwide energy mix.

Wind power generation grew by 17% and solar power generation rose by 24% in 2022, making it the latter the fastest growing electricity source for the last 18 years.

The shift has caused the global power generation sector’s carbon footprint to fall to a record low of 436 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kWh in 2022.

While growth of renewables slowed the rise, carbon emissions from the power generation still grew by 1.3% last year due to increased demand.

Additionally, the use of coal-generated power grew by 1.1% while gas-generated power fell by 0.2% in 2022.

The report covers power generation from 78 nations that represent 93% of global electricity demand.