Development of wind and solar energy in 2020

Global electricity production declined slightly in 2020, with a number of factors related to COVID-19 slowing growth. However, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar are booming.

According to new data from the climate think tank Ember, global electricity generation from solar and wind power has increased by 19 percent and 11 percent, respectively. Major countries such as China, India, Russia, and the USA are experiencing massive increases in wind and solar power production. Russia is making significant strides in renewable energy, with a 55 percent increase in solar power and an astonishing 236 percent increase in wind power.

Electricity generated from wind and solar energy has doubled in the last five years, according to Ember and Bloomberg. While the global share of wind and solar energy generated annually has generally increased by less than one percent, it will increase by over 3 percent by 2020.

The rise in wind and solar power production coincides with a steady decline in global coal production. Countries around the world are moving away from fossil fuels, but some analysts expect a plateau in new solar and wind farms to be reached soon. China remains the world leader in coal mining and power generation, but it also leads the world in new renewable energy facilities, dams, and nuclear power plants.

Annual percentage change in electricity production in the following countries, 2019-2020