2014 OECD Electricity Production Falls — Less Fossil Fuels & More Renewables, IEA
Provisional data provided by the International Energy Agency shows electricity production down 0.8% in the OECD, due to a drop in fossil fuel and hydro production.
The figures, released on Thursday, show that electricity production in the 34 member states of the OECD fell 0.8% to 10,712 TWh, a decrease of 86 TWh on 2013’s figures. The International Energy Agency (IEA) point out that this decline was driven by lower fossil fuel and hydro production, but a decline which was partially offset by a growth in non-hydro renewables and nuclear.
Non-hydro renewable electricity generation increased by 8.5% in 2014, driven primarily by solar and wind generation. OECD nuclear production grew by 0.9% in 2014.
Specifically, solar PV overtook solid biofuels to become the second largest source of non-hydro renewable electricity in OECD Europe, with a share of 17.3%.
However, it is the non-OECD countries which are driving growth in electricity generation, with the latest data released by the IEA showing that global electricity generation increased by 2.9% between 2012 and 2013, with two very distinct trends: Electricity generation is levelling off in the OECD, while at the same time growing in the rest of the world at an annual average growth rate of 5.6%.
Definite total-global figures from a year earlier show that renewable electricity generation (including hydro) became the second largest source of electricity, producing 22% of total electricity, amounting to 5,130 TWh. Additionally, global non-hydro renewable electricity generation in 2013 surpassed oil-fired generation for the first time ever, growing to 1,256 TWh, or 5.4% of global electricity generation.
However, electricity generated by coal reached its highest levels ever in 2013, generating 9,613 TWh, 41.1% of the global electricity pie, driven primarily by non-OECD countries.
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