For the first time ever, solar and wind made up the majority of the world’s new power generation — marking a seismic shift in how nations get their electricity. Solar additions last year totaled 119 gigawatts, representing 45% of all new capacity, according to a report Tuesday by BloombergNEF. Together, solar and wind accounted for more than two-thirds of the additions. That’s up from less than a quarter in 2010. The surge comes as countries move to slash carbon emissions and as technology costs fall.
“That is a big deal,” said Luiza Demoro, a Brazil-based BNEF analyst. “It shows that we are going in a good direction. It’s good for the climate.” In terms of total power produced, renewables technologies including hydro last year accounted for 27% last year, up from 20% in 2010, according to the report.
Global installations of natural gas-fired power — which in 2010 was the No. 1 technology installed in more than one-third of the world — fell to a 10-year low in 2019. Meanwhile, 81 countries installed at least 1 megawatt of solar last year, with China and India being the top markets for new capacity.
The Sunniest Spots
China installed the most solar capacity in the world last year
Source: BloombergNEF
Still, the world added 39 gigawatts of net new coal capacity, up from a 10-year low of 19 gigawatts in 2018. “This is a good start, but it’s not enough in the long run,” Demoro said in an interview. “Coal still represents a big share — 29% of installed capacity globally, and 35% of all the power produced last year. There is a lot of work to be done to replace that capacity.”