Seven countries now generate nearly all their electricity from renewables (2024) (the-independent.com)

Article summary

Seven countries, including Albania, Bhutan, and Iceland, generate nearly all their electricity from renewable energy sources, with most relying on hydroelectric power. Data from the International Energy Agency and International Renewable Energy Agency shows that 40 countries generated at least 50% of their electricity from renewable energy in 2021 and 2022. Researchers predict that solar energy will become the world's main source of energy by 2050 due to technological and economic advances. The UK and Scotland have also made significant progress in increasing their renewable energy production.

Main themes

• Renewable energy
• Geothermal power
• Solar energy
• Hydroelectric power
• Sustainable energy
• Energy production

What commenters say

• Geothermal energy is not technically renewable because it can be depleted if extracted at a massive scale, unlike solar and wind energy which are replenished by natural processes.
• The concept of renewability is relative and depends on the timescale considered, with some arguing that geothermal energy can be considered renewable over a human lifetime but not over a stellar lifetime.
• The heat used for geothermal energy comes from radioactive decay and residual heat from planetary formation, and is not replenished at the same rate it is extracted, making it a finite resource.
• Solar energy is the most widely available energy resource and its economic attractiveness is improving fast, making it likely to become the world's main source of energy by 2050.
• Nuclear energy can be considered renewable over a certain timescale, as the amount of fissile uranium and thorium on Earth is vast and would take a long time to deplete.
• The depletion of geothermal energy resources is a long-term issue, but it can be mitigated by using the energy for district heating and cooling, or by cycling the holes to allow them to recharge.
• The waste issue associated with nuclear energy is not a significant problem, as the mass of waste is tiny and can be contained safely in small areas.
• Hydroelectric power is vulnerable to the impacts of global warming, such as reduced snow pack and glacier runoff, making solar and wind energy more robust hedges against a warming climate.