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    The Decarbonization Arms Race: Where the U.S. and other Nations are right now

    May 11, 2023
    My surprise takeaway: Canada is No. 1., while China is ahead of the U.S. in renewables as part of the mix... and in the U.S., nuclear is still the breadwinner for carbon free power
    Image credit International Energy Agency
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    Sometimes in covering all of the momentum, projects and hype of the Many Paths to #NetZero. I like to ground myself in what the view is right now.

    Using a multitude of sources such as U.S. Energy Information Administration, Statista, International Energy Agency and more, Here is a breakdown of the electricity generation mix in some the world's biggest developed or emerging nations.

    My surprise takeaway: Canada is No. 1, while China is ahead of the U.S. in renewables as part of the mix... and in the U.S., nuclear is still the breadwinner for carbon free power.

    Canada: Hydro 59 percent, Nuclear 16 percent, Wind-other renewables 6 percent, Natural gas 9 %, Coal 10 percent (total Carbon-free portion is combined 81 percent).

    United States: Natural gas 38 %, Coal 22 %, Nuclear 19%, Wind 9%, Hydro-solar-other renewables 9 percent (Carbon-free portion is 38 percent, with nuclear more than half of that).

    China: Coal 63 percent, Gas 3%, Nuclear 5%, Hydro 17%, Wind 6%, Solar 3%, Biomass-other renewables 3% (Carbon-free is 34% of the mix..and growing).

    India: Coal 51%, gas 6%, Hydro 12%, Solar 16%, Wind 10%, Biomass 3%. (Carbon free mix is 38 percent)

    Japan: Coal 31%, Gas 34%, Renewables 20%, Nuclear 7%, Other petroleum 8%. (Carbon free portion is 27%).

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    About the Author

    Rod Walton, EnergyTech Managing Editor | Senior Editor

    For EnergyTech editorial inquiries, please contact Managing Editor Rod Walton at [email protected].

    Rod Walton has spent 15 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist. He formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    Walton earned his Bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. His career stops include the Moore American, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, Wagoner Tribune and Tulsa World. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids. The C&I sectors together account for close to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.

    He was named Managing Editor for Microgrid Knowledge and EnergyTech starting July 1, 2023

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.

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