FILE - Solar panels work near the small town of Milagro, Navarra Province, northern Spain, Feb. 24, 2023. Billions of people are using different kinds of energy each day and 2023 was a record-breaking year for renewable energy sources, according to a report published Wednesday, May 8, 2024, by Ember, a think tank based in London.
People used more electricity than ever last year, about 2% more, an increase of about as much as Canada uses in a year. Some of this new demand was forOther increased demand was for electricity to feed new data centers and for air conditioning as places around the world become hotter.Last coal-burning power plant in New England set to close in a win for environmentalistsSolar made up the biggest share of new clean energy last year. More than twice as much solar power was added as coal power.
Yet China was also responsible for 55% of coal generation globally and 60% of China’s electricity generation came from coal. TheScientists say emissions from burning fuels like coal must ramp steeply down to protect Earth’s climate, yet there was an increase in electricity made from burning fossil fuels. China, India, Vietnam and Mexico were responsible for nearly all of the rise.