Reference News Network, October 11 report - According to the Associated Press in New York on October 7, a new analysis shows that global solar and wind power generation this year has grown more than the increase in electricity demand, with total renewable energy generation exceeding coal for the first time.

The report released by the UK energy think tank Ember on October 7 showed that global solar power generation set a record high growth of 31% in the first half of this year, while wind power generation increased by 7.7%. The combined growth of solar and wind power was 400 terawatt-hours (1 terawatt-hour equals 1 billion kilowatt-hours - note from this newspaper), exceeding the increase in global total electricity demand during the same period.

The report indicates that as long as there is continuous investment in renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal energy, the world can move away from polluting energy even if electricity demand surges.

Magdalena Wiatrowska-Motyka, the first author of the report and a senior power analyst at Ember, said: "This shows that renewable energy can keep up with the growing global electricity demand."

At the same time, the total amount of fossil fuel power generation slightly decreased, with a decline of less than 1%.

Wiatrowska-Motyka said: "Although the decline in total fossil fuel power generation is small, it is significant. It is a turning point for emissions to stabilize."

Ember analyzed monthly data from 88 countries and regions, which account for most of the global electricity demand. The increase in demand is due to economic growth, electric vehicles, data centers, population growth in developing countries, and increased cooling demand caused by rising temperatures.

Meeting these demands through burning fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas releases greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, which will lead to more severe, costly, and deadly extreme weather events.

The report includes several sections analyzing China, India, the European Union, and the United States, which together account for nearly two-thirds of global power generation and power industry carbon dioxide emissions.

In the first half of this year, China's newly added solar and wind power capacity exceeded the total of the rest of the world, and its fossil fuel power generation decreased by 2%.

India's solar and wind power generation reached record levels, surpassing the increase in electricity demand. India's fossil fuel power generation also declined.

Both China and India saw a decrease in emissions.

Michael Gerrard, founding director of the Sabine Climate Change Law Center at Columbia University, who did not participate in writing the report, said: "Analysts often say that renewable energy does not truly reduce the use of fossil fuels. This report shows the opposite, encouraging signs."

However, the rate of growth in U.S. electricity demand exceeds the growth rate of clean electricity generation. The report states that in the EU, due to slow development of wind and hydroelectric power, coal and natural gas power generation increased. Fossil fuel power generation and emissions in the U.S. and EU both rose.

The Trump administration shifted federal policy from supporting renewable energy to supporting coal, oil, and natural gas production, which posed challenges for the U.S. clean energy market. The Trump administration terminated funding for clean energy projects from the Biden administration, repealed climate-related regulatory policies, and halted wind farm development.

At the same time, the U.S. government lifted restrictions on coal mining, granted coal-fired power plants and other polluting industries two years of regulatory exemptions, and invested substantial funds into these plants.

Last month, Trump criticized renewable energy in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, questioning the authenticity of the concept of climate change. Experts warned that Trump's actions hindering the development of clean energy will have long-term impacts.

Gerrard said: "The federal government is vigorously promoting the development of artificial intelligence, which will sharply increase electricity demand, but the government has closed off the cheapest new power source, namely wind and solar power. This will create a supply-demand gap."

Amanda Smith, a senior scientist at the research organization "Drawdown," pointed out, "Even with some increase in demand, renewable energy still has the opportunity to replace fossil fuels."

However, Smith said: "I am cautiously optimistic about the continued growth of renewable energy in the U.S. and its replacement of fossil fuels. On a global scale, I am more optimistic." (Translated by Qing Songzhu)

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7559850386157290038/

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