Everything Energy Where does the world’s electricity come from?
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Sep 18, 2025 In this insightful discussion, Eren Çam, an electricity analyst at the IEA with a focus on global power trends, dives into the evolving landscape of electricity generation. He outlines the current mix of energy sources, including the dominance of coal and the rapid rise of renewables like solar and wind. Eren also addresses key challenges in scaling up electricity supply, such as infrastructure and regulatory barriers, while highlighting optimistic trends for low-emission growth and integrating diverse energy sources for a sustainable future.
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Electricity Is Still A Minority Of Energy Use
- Only about 20% of global final energy is delivered as electricity, while 80% is consumed directly as fuels.
- Sectors like transport and heating still rely heavily on oil, gas, coal and biomass, limiting electrification's share.
Coal Still Tops The Global Mix (2024)
- In 2024 coal remained the largest single source of electricity at about 35%, with total renewables at 32% and gas around 22%.
- Oil and waste make up only a small residual share of global electricity.
Why Coal Became Dominant
- Coal dominated historically because it was cheap, energy-dense, transportable and supported by existing industrial infrastructure.
- Those historical infrastructure advantages entrenched coal in power systems through the 19th and 20th centuries.