Wind and solar reached a record 12% of global electricity in 2022, with the US at 15%, according to a report published by energy think tank Ember.
The US also saw the world’s largest absolute increase in gas generation in 2022, while it fell slightly in the rest of the world, Ember’s fourth annual Global Electricity Review found.
The report presents electricity data from 2022 across 78 countries, representing 93% of global electricity demand.
The report found that over 60 countries now generate more than 10% of their electricity from wind and solar.
In the US, the share of wind and solar in total electricity generation increased from 13% in 2021 to 15% in 2022.
Solar was the fastest-growing source of global electricity for the eighteenth year in a row, rising by 24% year-on-year and adding enough electricity to power all of South Africa.
Wind generation increased by 17% in 2022, enough to power almost all of the UK.
The US broadly matched global growth, as wind generation grew by 15% and solar by 25% in this period.
The US had similar growth in solar generation to China (+28%) and the EU (+24%) in 2022.
In contrast, US wind power grew faster than the EU (+8.9%) but slower than China (+26%).
Growth in wind and solar generation in 2022 met an impressive 80% of the rise in global electricity demand, and 68% of the rise in US demand.
“The deployment of clean power is getting supercharged by the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said Ember’s head of data insights, Dave Jones.
“But the US still generates 60% of its electricity from fossil fuels, so there is a crucial need for more clean power.
“Coal power is already falling rapidly, and the US will soon see gas power fall rapidly.
“The US target for 100% clean power by 2035 is certainly within reach.”