In 2022, 29,165.2 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity was generated around the world, an increase of 2.3% from the previous year. In this visualization, we look at data from the latest Statistical Review of World Energy, and ask what powered the world in 2022.
Coal is Still King
Coal still leads the charge when it comes to electricity, representing 35.4% of global power generation in 2022, followed by natural gas at 22.7%, and hydroelectric at 14.9%.
A striking fact is that more than three-quarters of the world’s electricity generated from coal is consumed in just three countries. China leads as the top consumer of coal, accounting for a substantial 53.3% of global coal demand. Following China, India stands at 13.6%, and the United States at 8.9%.
Burning coal, whether for electricity generation or in industries like metallurgy and cement production, represents the single largest source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions globally. However, despite increasing awareness of climate change, coal’s use in electricity generation has actually seen a significant growth of 91.2% since 1997, the year when the first global climate agreement was signed in Kyoto, Japan.
Renewables on the Rise
While non-renewable energy sources have been dominant, their reign may be approaching its end.
In 2022, renewables, including wind, solar, and geothermal power, made up 14.4% of the total electricity generation, experiencing an astonishing annual growth rate of 14.7%. This remarkable progress was primarily driven by substantial advancements in solar and wind energy. In stark contrast, non-renewable sources only saw meager growth at 0.4%.
It’s worth noting that the authors of the Statistical Review do not incorporate hydroelectric power into their renewable calculations, despite many other organizations, including the International Energy Agency, categorizing it as a “well-established renewable power technology.”
When hydroelectric power is included within the renewable category, together they accounted for over 29.3% of all electricity generated in 2022, boasting an annual growth rate of 7.4%. This data underscores the significant rise of renewables and their growing role in the global electricity landscape.
France and Nuclear Energy had problems
Nuclear energy had a significant impact on this year’s report, and France, in particular, experienced a challenging year.
In addition to the disruptions at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, France had to shut down several of its nuclear reactors to address corrosion issues in the safety injection systems. This resulted in a 4% decline in global nuclear energy use when compared year-over-year.
France, traditionally known as the world’s largest exporter of electricity, saw a substantial 22% drop in nuclear electricity generation, which amounted to 294.7 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2022. Consequently, France transitioned from being a major exporter of electricity to becoming a net importer.
How do we power the future?
Turning mechanical energy into electrical energy is a relatively straightforward process. Modern power plants are engineering marvels, to be sure, but they still work on the same principle as the very first generator invented by Michael Faraday in 1831.
But how you get the mechanical energy is where things get complicated: coal powered the first industrial revolution, but heated the planet in the process; wind is free and clean, but is unreliable; and nuclear fission reliably generates emission-free electricity, but also creates radioactive waste.
With temperature records being set around the world in the summer, resolving these tensions isn’t just academic and next year’s report could be a crucial test of the world’s commitment to a clean energy future.
Source: Statistical Review of World Energy,
