Wind, Solar Power Rise in 2020

Total global electricity production has decreased modestly during 2020, with a number of factors stemming from COVID-19 curbing growth. Renewable sources like wind and solar, however, are booming.

According to new data from climate think tank Ember, global electricity generated from solar and wind is up 19 percent and 11 percent, respectively. Large countries like China, India, Russia and the U.S. are seeing massive production gains in wind and solar electricity. Russia has been particularly fond of renewable energy, with a 55 percent increase in solar electricity and an astounding 236 percent increase in wind electricity.

Electricity generated from wind and solar sources has doubled over the last five years, according to Ember and Bloomberg. While the global share of wind and solar electricity produced each year has generally increased by less than a percent, it’s on pace to increase by over 3 percent in 2020.

The rise in wind and solar production coincides with a steady decrease in global coal production. Countries across the world are noticeably moving away from the fossil fuel, however some analysts expect a plateau of new solar and wind farms to be reached soon. China continues to be the world’s leader in coal production and power but also leads the world in new renewable power installations, hydro dams and nuclear power plants.