It is very apparent that electricity is only a small part of the global problem with energy consumption and emissions. This is true in Australia as well.
In Australia there seems to be a massive focus on electricity.
There is a question to be answered whether this will be effective.
Let’s look at some statistics.
The chart below shows how much energy is consumed globally each year. And it shows the change over time.
Please check the source of the data to see how this chart was produced.
OurWorldInData
In 2023 the world used about 180,000 TWh of energy. Be sure to note that this is all energy, so includes petrol/diesel/avgas for transport, gas for heating, coal for steel making and so on. A massive amount of energy is consumed directly, not converted to electricity and then consumed. This is a significant point.
In contrast, global electricity production is shown in the following chart.
This chart shows that in 2023 global electricity production was around 29,000 TWh.
Now compare total energy with total electricity.
| Global energy consumption | 180,000 TWh | PA |
| Global electricity production | 29,000 TWh | PA |
This means electricity is only 16% of global energy consumption. Not only that, of the 29,000 TWh, about 11,000 TWh is already produced from renewable sources.
So the proportion of electricity produced from fossil fuels compared to the total is only around 10%.
Clearly, focussing on electricity will be somewhat limited in its effect on fossil fuel emissions.
It is proposed that many industries will need to become electrified, so gradually converting the balance of energy consumption into electricity consumption. Industries such as steel making and fertiliser production would require huge electrical input for conversion. Given the scale of renewable implementations being seen at the moment to replace only 16% of total energy production (really only 10%) it is rather scary to think what might be needed. How many turbines, solar panels and transmission lines will be needed to cover the other 84% of energy consumption?
A new question that is becoming more common is about rooftop solar and adding batteries and their possible contribution to the overall effort.
There are real questions about the effectiveness and even the feasibility of renewables in the short term.
We need a better roadmap!