Low-carbon energy powers 40% of global electricity in 2024
Solar power is the engine of the global electricity transition, as most of the electricity produced in the EU is low-carbon.
Published on April 8, 2025
© Pexels
Mauro swapped Sardinia for Eindhoven and has been an IO+ editor for 3 years. As a GREEN+ expert, he covers the energy transition with data-driven stories.
According to the energy think tank Ember, for the first time since the 1940s, over 40% of the world’s electricity came from low-carbon sources. The EU share is even cleaner, with over 71% of low-carbon electricity. The findings are part of the organization‘s Global Electricity Review for 2024.
Overall, renewables produced 858 TWh of new electricity–enough to cover almost a fourth of the US annual consumption. New solar electricity generation represented over half of this production–474 TWh. According to the analysts, renewable growth will outpace the rising demand for electricity in the coming years.
“Solar power is the engine behind this global transition. It was the largest source of electricity in the past three years, and it has added more than twice as much as any other source of electricity in 2024,” says Nicolas Fulghum, lead author of the study.
© Ember
The Netherlands: a green electricity leader
The Netherlands stands out as one of the leaders in this transition. Ember analysis shows that 54% of the electricity generated in the country in 2024 came from low-carbon sources. Wind is the primary source of green electricity (27%). Wind and solar combined contributed 45% of the total production–three times the global average.
Moreover, the Netherlands retains its position as a global solar leader, ranking 6th globally in share of solar-generated electricity. “Examples like the Netherlands reinforce the case of solar energy. Despite being positioned at such a high latitude, solar is 18% of the electricity mix,” underscores Fulghum.
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Renewable energy takes over: Dutch fossil fuel use halved
Renewable energy is stepping in Dutch electricity generation, covering in 2024, half of the total production.
EU on top
The EU is leading the energy transition as it sees a steep decline in fossil fuel usage, which has halved since 2007. Currently, wind and nuclear are the leading generation sources. In addition, its member states are leading the charts for solar and wind electricity generation shares. Hungary has the highest share of solar generation (25%), while Denmark leads the charts for wind electricity share (58%). Ireland, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, and Spain are among the top fifteen countries with the most significant shares of wind-generated electricity.
How can the EU sustain the expansion of renewable energy sources? Acting on battery storage and flexibility of the electricity grid. “The bloc benefits from an interconnected system, as the European Commission is acting to align the transmission buildout across countries,” says the Ember analyst.
Nicolas Fulghum
Senior Energy and Data Analyst at Ember
He co-authored the Ember Global Electricity Review's report with Euan Graham.
Battery storage takes solar power to the next level
“Then, it would be up to national policies to incentivize battery storage and reform permitting. That is a big challenge in many markets, such as Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK. Solar is moving fast, and we need the system to move at the same speed. As battery costs also plunge, it is much more expensive not to invest in these technologies, given the benefits they give in the long term,” continues Fulghum.
The think tank includes in its analysis the case of California, where, in 2024, the battery met a fifth of daily peak load in the evening hours. This share doubled last year and skyrocketed compared to the 2% registered three years ago. The study also mentions a recent analysis by Fraunhofer, which found that it is now cheaper to operate a utility-scale solar plant with integrated storage than to run a fossil-powered energy plant.
A lot of space on the power grid for battery farms
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Renewables reduce external dependencies
China is the global leader in clean energy build-out, generating over half of the world’s wind and solar electricity. According to Fulghum, such a rollout is favored by government policies and a strong manufacturing base. China dominates the global solar panels supply chain, exceeding 80% in all manufacturing stages.
“Still, there is a separation between China as the manufacturing hub of solar panels and the actual use of solar panels. Once that panel is on the ground in the Netherlands, it will produce power there for decades. To that extent, we rely less on fuel imports needed to power a fossil plant. Even though there are questions about the reliance on Chinese imports, there are still huge benefits,” underlines the analyst.
As geopolitical tensions strain global trade, renewables offer the opportunity to reduce dependencies. “To that extent, the levies announced by Trump are another sign that global markets, including those for fossil fuels, will be volatile. Reducing reliance on foreign fossil fuels and investing in homegrown secure energy is sensible,” concludes Fulghum.
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