Renewables have won the electricity battle but not the climate war |
Renewable electricity is taking over. But this does not mean the end of global warming. We may need a shock to take the climate problem seriously and strive for negative greenhouse gas emissions.
It’s hard to see a big global turning point when you are in the midst of it, but we are in one now. I am not referring to the crumbling of the great rock that was the USA and a re-ordering of global affairs, although this does seem to be happening. I refer to energy.
According to British environmental think-tank Ember, increased capacity for solar and wind power provided all the world’s additional need for electricity in 2025. By Ember’s analysis, in the last calendar year, worldwide electricity demand increased by 849 terawatt-hours. Of this, the increase in solar power accounted for 636 tWh, additional wind power 205 tWh and additional other low-carbon power (such as hydro, biopower and geothermal) 11 tWh. The balancing items are an increase in nuclear power of 35 tWh and a decline of 38 tWh in fossil-fuel power.
Here in Australia, in the last quarter of 2025, solar, wind and a little hydro accounted for more than half of the power in the National Electricity Market for the first time.
The battle between renewables and power generated from coal and gas is all over, bar the shouting. Renewables have won. In the coming decade or two, they will replace almost all Australia’s fossil power, with a little perhaps remaining for peak supply and in some small and remote places. At the same time, demand for electricity will grow rapidly as it replaces fossil energy in transport, heating, cooling and many industrial uses.
But shouting there is. The noise made by pro-fossil lobbies, right-wing media and politicians has never been louder. Moreover, as a recent Senate inquiry found, much of the pro-fossil and anti-renewable propaganda is false. This is one reason why it is hard to see that we are passing a turning point.
Some Opposition politicians still hanker for nuclear power in Australia (remember the last........