The incidence of renewable energy in the electricity mix has quickly grown over the past 10 years, reaching a global average of 24% in 2016. This increase has been driven primarily by falling costs of renewable technologies, which have made these sources more accessible worldwide.
According to Enerdata Global Energy Statistical Yearbook 2017, the falling costs of solar, wind and other renewable energy sources have been one of the key factors that have enabled this boom. Since then, growth has not stopped, and many countries have achieved impressive levels of clean electricity generation.
Renewable energy producers
Norway and New Zealand currently lead the list of countries that produce the most electricity from renewable sources, generating 97,9% and 84% of their electricity from green energy, respectively. Spain is also a leading player in this area, with 40,1% of its electricity coming from renewable sources, according to the Enerdata report. At its peak in 2014, Spain reached 40,9% renewable electricity.
Below is a table of the main renewable energy producing countries in terms of the proportion of electricity generated:
|
Country |
Share of renewables in electricity production (% of total) |
|
Norway |
97,9 |
|
New Zealand |
84 |
|
Colombia |
82 |
|
Brazil |
81,2 |
|
In Canada |
66,4 |
|
Sweden |
57,2 |
|
Portugal |
55,2 |
|
Venezuela |
54 |
|
Romania |
46,2 |
|
Spain |
40,1 |
Norway, leader in renewable energy
Norway is a pioneer in the use of renewable energy, which contrasts with its position as one of the world's leading oil producers. Almost all of its electricity supply comes from hydroelectric power, and the country continues to invest in infrastructure to export its surplus electricity to other regions, such as the United Kingdom. This growth is due to a strategic effort that has put Norway at the forefront of the global energy sector.
Your model of Using oil revenues to finance hydroelectric plants has been crucial. Not only has this allowed Norway to cover 100% of its electricity needs with clean sources, but it also allows it to be a net exporter of renewable energy, contributing to the energy stability of other European countries.
In contrast, other nations such as China face their economic growth by relying on the carbon, which has generated alarming levels of pollution. At a global level, the transition to clean energy is essential to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The rise of the electric car in Norway
Norway is also a world leader in electric mobility. In this country, One in four cars sold is electric, which represents a significant step towards the decarbonisation of transport. Unlike many other countries, the energy that powers these vehicles comes from 100% renewable sources, ensuring that they are energy-efficient vehicles. zero real emissions.
This success is partly due to the Norwegian government's subsidy policies, which have eliminated taxes for electric vehicles and offer advantages such as free parking y Free recharging at many stations, as well as access to exclusive bus lanes. Although Norway has achieved its goals much sooner than expected, this has also drawn criticism due to the loss of tax revenue, especially with the exponential increase in sales of models such as the Tesla Model S.
Review of subsidies
Given the success of subsidy policies, Norway now faces the challenge of re-evaluating these subsidies to ensure that the growth of electric vehicles is sustainable in the long term. Record sales of cars such as the Tesla Model S have boosted the market but also reduced tax revenues. Despite this challenge, the Norwegian Electric Car Association argues that it is crucial to maintain incentives until a greater proportion of cars on the roads are electric.
Currently, only about 3% of cars on the road in Norway are electric, suggesting that there is still much work to be done for the country to fully transition to clean mobility. In the meantime, more nations are expected to follow the Norwegian example and adopt similar policies to encourage a shift towards electric cars.
The energy transition is developing at an accelerated pace in some parts of the world, and Norway is one of the countries leading this global effort. Through a strategic approach to the development of renewable energy and electric mobility, Norway is showing the world a viable model for a cleaner and more sustainable future.