Chapter 03Clean growth versus fossil growth

More clean power does not automatically mean less fossil power.

A renewable share is a ratio. It can improve while fossil output continues to grow, or remain flat even as a country adds substantial renewable generation.

Interactive figure 01

Global clean and fossil generation

Clean output expanded substantially, but fossil generation also remained a major part of the growing system.

Interactive figure 02

Renewable coverage and the break-even line

Coverage is renewable generation added divided by total demand added. The diagonal marks an unchanged renewable share; 1.0 marks an absolute decline in fossil generation.

Interactive figure 03

Top 20 countries versus the rest of the world

The largest producers account for about half of global clean and fossil generation; the rest of the world collectively supplies the other half.

Interactive figure 04

Clean and fossil pathways by country

Country panels show why a global average cannot describe the transition experienced by any individual data-center market.