
Production by country
The United States has long been the largest producer and consumer of electricity, with a global share in 2005 of at least 25%, followed by China, Japan, Russia, and India. As of Jan-2010, total electricity generation for the 2 largest generators was as follows: USA: 3992 billion kWh (3992 TWh) and China: 3715 billion kWh (3715 TWh).
List of countries with source of electricity 2008
Data source of values (electric power generated) is IEA/OECD.
Listed countries are top 20 by population or top 20 by GDP (PPP) and Saudi Arabia based on CIA World Factbook 2009.
Composition of Electricity by Resource (TWh per year 2008) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country |
Fossil Fuel |
Nuclear |
rank |
Renewable |
Bio other* |
total |
rank | |||||||||||||||||
Coal |
Oil |
Gas |
sub total |
rank |
|
|
Hydroe |
Geo Thermal |
Solar PV* |
Solar Thermal |
Wind |
Tide |
sub total |
rank |
|
|
| |||||||
World total |
8,263 |
1,111 |
4,301 |
13,675 |
- |
2,731 |
- |
3,288 |
65 |
12 |
0.9 |
219 |
0.5 |
3,584 |
- |
271 |
20,261 |
- | ||||||
Proportion |
41% |
5.5% |
21% |
67% |
- |
13% |
- |
16% |
0.3% |
0.06% |
0.004% |
1.1% |
0.003% |
18% |
- |
1.3% |
100% |
- | ||||||
|
2,733 |
23 |
31 |
2,788 |
2 |
68 |
8 |
585 |
- |
0.2 |
- |
13 |
- |
598 |
1 |
2.4 |
3,457 |
2 | ||||||
|
569 |
34 |
82 |
685 |
5 |
15 |
6 |
114 |
- |
0.02 |
- |
14 |
- |
128.02 |
6 |
2.0 |
830 |
5 | ||||||
|
2,133 |
58 |
911 |
3,101 |
1 |
838 |
1 |
282 |
17 |
1.6 |
0.88 |
56 |
- |
357 |
4 |
73 |
4,369 |
1 | ||||||
|
61 |
43 |
25 |
130 |
19 |
- |
- |
12 |
8.3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
20 |
17 |
- |
149 |
20 | ||||||
|
13 |
18 |
29 |
59 |
23 |
14 |
13 |
370 |
- |
- |
- |
0.6 |
- |
370 |
3 |
20 |
463 |
9 | ||||||
|
0.1 |
32 |
30 |
62 |
22 |
1.6 |
16 |
28 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
28 |
14 |
- |
92 |
24 | ||||||
|
0.6 |
1.7 |
31 |
33 |
27 |
- |
- |
1.5 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1.5 |
29 |
- |
35 |
27 | ||||||
|
- |
3.1 |
12 |
15 |
28 |
- |
- |
5.7 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
5.7 |
25 |
- |
21 |
28 | ||||||
|
197 |
16 |
495 |
708 |
4 |
163 |
4 |
167 |
0.5 |
- |
- |
0.01 |
- |
167 |
5 |
2.5 |
1,040 |
4 | ||||||
|
288 |
139 |
283 |
711 |
3 |
258 |
3 |
83 |
2.8 |
2.3 |
- |
2.6 |
- |
91 |
7 |
22 |
1,082 |
3 | ||||||
|
21 |
49 |
131 |
202 |
13 |
9.8 |
14 |
39 |
7.1 |
0.01 |
- |
0.3 |
- |
47 |
12 |
0.8 |
259 |
14 | ||||||
|
16 |
4.9 |
20 |
40 |
26 |
- |
- |
9.8 |
11 |
0.001 |
- |
0.1 |
- |
21 |
16 |
- |
61 |
26 | ||||||
|
15 |
1.6 |
30 |
47 |
25 |
- |
- |
26 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
26 |
15 |
- |
73 |
25 | ||||||
|
- |
0.5 |
- |
0.5 |
29 |
- |
- |
3.3 |
0.01 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
3.3 |
28 |
- |
3.8 |
30 | ||||||
|
- |
26 |
90 |
115 |
20 |
- |
- |
15 |
- |
- |
- |
0.9 |
- |
16 |
20 |
- |
131 |
22 | ||||||
|
291 |
9.2 |
88 |
388 |
6 |
148 |
5 |
27 |
0.02 |
4.4 |
- |
41 |
- |
72 |
9 |
29 |
637 |
7 | ||||||
|
58 |
7.5 |
99 |
164 |
16 |
- |
- |
33 |
0.16 |
- |
- |
0.85 |
- |
34 |
13 |
0.22 |
198 |
19 | ||||||
|
- |
0.02 |
0.03 |
0.05 |
30 |
- |
- |
7.5 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
7.5 |
22 |
- |
7.5 |
29 | ||||||
|
0.4 |
36 |
173 |
209 |
11 |
- |
- |
5.0 |
- |
- |
- |
0.20 |
- |
5.2 |
26 |
- |
215 |
17 | ||||||
|
32 |
1.7 |
102 |
135 |
18 |
- |
- |
7.1 |
0.002 |
0.003 |
- |
- |
- |
7.1 |
23 |
4.8 |
147 |
21 | ||||||
|
27 |
5.8 |
22 |
55 |
24 |
439 |
2 |
68 |
- |
0.04 |
- |
5.7 |
0.51 |
75 |
8 |
5.9 |
575 |
8 | ||||||
|
127 |
6.1 |
177 |
310 |
7 |
52 |
10 |
9.3 |
- |
0.02 |
- |
7.1 |
- |
16 |
18 |
11 |
389 |
11 | ||||||
|
49 |
31 |
173 |
253 |
9 |
- |
- |
47 |
5.5 |
0.2 |
- |
4.9 |
- |
58 |
11 |
8.6 |
319 |
12 | ||||||
|
192 |
15 |
81 |
288 |
8 |
151 |
5 |
5.6 |
- |
0.3 |
- |
0.4 |
- |
6.3 |
24 |
0.7 |
446 |
10 | ||||||
|
50 |
18 |
122 |
190 |
14 |
59 |
9 |
26 |
- |
2.6 |
0.02 |
32 |
- |
61 |
10 |
4.3 |
314 |
13 | ||||||
|
112 |
9.8 |
41 |
162 |
17 |
94 |
7 |
383 |
- |
0.03 |
- |
3.8 |
0.03 |
386 |
2 |
8.5 |
651 |
6 | ||||||
|
- |
116 |
88 |
204 |
12 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
204 |
18 | ||||||
|
125 |
14 |
46 |
186 |
15 |
41 |
11 |
7.8 |
- |
0.004 |
- |
0.6 |
- |
8.4 |
21 |
3.5 |
238 |
16 | ||||||
|
198 |
2.8 |
39 |
239 |
10 |
- |
- |
12 |
- |
0.2 |
0.004 |
3.9 |
- |
16 |
19 |
2.2 |
257 |
15 | ||||||
|
27 |
2.1 |
63 |
92 |
21 |
4.2 |
15 |
0.1 |
- |
0.04 |
- |
4.3 |
- |
4.4 |
27 |
6.8 |
108 |
23 | ||||||
Country |
Coal |
Oil |
Gas |
sub total |
rank |
Nuclear |
rank |
Hydro |
Geo Thermal |
Solar PV |
Solar Thermal |
Wind |
Tide |
sub total |
rank |
Bio other |
Total |
rank |
Most scientists agree that emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases from fossil fuel-based electricity generation account for a significant portion of world greenhouse gas emissions; in the United States, electricity generation accounts for nearly 40% of emissions, the largest of any source. Transportation emissions are close behind, contributing about one-third of U.S. production of carbon dioxide.
Lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by electricity source. | ||
Technology |
Description |
50th percentile (g CO2/kWhe) |
Hydroelectric |
reservoir |
4 |
Wind |
onshore |
12 |
Nuclear |
various generation II reactor types |
16 |
Biomass |
various |
18 |
Solar thermal |
parabolic trough |
22 |
Geothermal |
hot dry rock |
45 |
Solar PV |
Polycrystaline silicon |
46 |
Natural gas |
various combined cycle turbines without scrubbing |
469 |
Coal |
various generator types without scrubbing |
1001 |
In July 2011, the UK parliament tabled a motion that "levels of (carbon) emissions from nuclear power were approximately three times lower per kilowatt hour than those of solar, four times lower than clean coal and 36 times lower than conventional coal".[19]
Though Solar PV generation is positioned as environmentally friendly, fabrication of PV cells utilizes substantial amounts of water in addition to toxic chemicals such as phosphorus and arsenic. These are often overlooked when promoting PV. Because of strict environmental regulations in the United States, for example, PV fabrication is often performed in countries with lower standards, such as China, which produces approximately half the world's PV panels.