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Mandatory renewable energy targets are part of government legislated schemes which require electricity merchandisers to source-specific amounts of aggregate electricity sales from renewable energy sources according to a fixed time frame. The objective of these schemes is to promote renewable energy and decrease dependency on fossil fuels. If this results in an additional expenditure of electricity, the additional cost is distributed across most customers by increases in other tariffs. The cost of this measure is therefore not funded by the government budgets, except for costs of establishing and monitoring the scheme and any audit and enforcement actions. As the cost of renewable energy has become cheaper than other sources, meeting and exceeding a renewable energy target will also reduce the expenditure of electricity to consumers.
At least 67 countries have renewable energy policy targets of some kind. In Europe, 28 European Union members states and 8 Energy Community Contracting Parties have legally binding renewable energy targets. The EU baseline target is 20% by 2020, while the United States also has a national RET of 20%. Similarly, Canada has 9 provincial RETs but no national target for renewable energy (although it does have a 2030 non-emitting target and coal phase-out by 2030). Targets are typically for shares of electricity production, but some are defined as by primary energy supply, installed capacity, or otherwise. While some targets are based on 2010-2012 data, many are now for 2020, which bonds in with the IPCC suggested greenhouse gas emission cuts of 25 to 40% by Annex I countries by 2020, although some are for 2025. [1]
Renewable energy technologies are essential contributors to the energy supply portfolio, as they contribute to world energy security, reduce dependency on fossil fuels, and provide opportunities for mitigating greenhouse gases. [2] The International Energy Agency has defined three generations of renewable energy technologies, reaching back over 100 years:
First-generation technologies are well established. However, second-generation technologies and third-generation technologies depend on further promotion by the public sector. [2] The introduction of mandatory renewable energy targets is one important way in which governments can encourage the wider use of renewables.
Renewable energy targets exist in at least 66 countries around the world, including the 27 European Union countries, 29 U.S. states, and 9 Canadian provinces. Most targets are for shares of electricity production, primary energy, and/or final energy for a future year. Most targets aim for the 2010–2012 timeframe, although an increasing number of targets aim for 2020, and there is now an EU-wide target of 20% of final energy by 2020, and a Chinese target of 15% of primary energy by 2020. [3]
In 2001, the federal government introduced a Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET) of 9,500 GWh of new generation, with the scheme running until at least 2020. [4] This represents an increase of new renewable electricity generation of about 4% of Australia's total electricity generation and a doubling of renewable generation from 1997 levels. Australia's renewable energy target does not cover heating or transport energy like Europe's or China's, Australia's target is therefore equivalent of approximately 5% of all energy from renewable sources.
An Expanded Renewable Energy Target was passed on 20 August 2009, to ensure that renewable energy obtains a 20% share of electricity supply in Australia by 2020. To ensure this, the Labor government committed that the MRET will increase from 9,500 gigawatt-hours to 45,000 gigawatt-hours by 2020. The scheme was to continue until 2030. [5] After 2020, the proposed Emissions Trading Scheme and improved efficiencies from innovation and manufacture was expected to allow the MRET to be phased out by 2030.[ citation needed ] The target was criticised as unambitious and ineffective in reducing Australia's fossil fuel dependency, as it only applied to generated electricity, but not to the 77% of energy production exported, nor to energy sources which are not used for electricity generation, such as the oil used in transportation. Thus 20% renewable energy in electricity generation would represent less than 2% of total energy production in Australia. [6]
In 2011 the 'expanded MRET' was split into two schemes: a Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET) of 41,000 GWh for utility-scale renewable generators, and an uncapped Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme for small household and commercial-scale generators. Following the 2014 Warburton Review initiated by the Abbott government, and subsequent negotiations with the Labor Opposition, in June 2015 the LRET target was reduced to 33,000 GWh. [7] [8]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2008) |
As of July 2010, 30 US states and DC have established mandatory renewable energy targets, and a further three have voluntary targets. [9] The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 has set a target for 36 billion US gallons (140,000,000 m3) of biofuel produced annually by 2022. Of that, 21 billion US gallons (79,000,000 m3) shall be advanced biofuels (derived from feedstock other than corn starch). Of the 21 billion US gallons (79,000,000 m3), 16 billion shall come from cellulosic ethanol. The remaining 5 billion US gallons (19,000,000 m3) shall come from biomass-based diesel and other advanced biofuels. [10] For sources other than biofuels, The United States carries no mandatory renewable energy targets although they do support the growth of renewable energy industries with subsidies, feed-in tariffs, tax exemptions, and other financial support measures. [11]
The European Union (EU) has a renewable energy target of 20% renewables target by 2020. [12] This is followed by a more ambitious target of 35% renewable energy by 2030. [13]
NAFTA (US, Canada and Mexico) has a 50% renewable energy sources target by 2025 in North America. [14]
Latin America pledged 70% renewable energy by 2030. [15]
The West African States (ECOWAS) aim for 38% renewable energy by 2030 achieved through the creation of 20GW of solar. [16] The African Union also aims for a minimum of 10GW of renewable energy on the continent by 2030. [17]
This section needs to be updated.(November 2018) |
Region | Current Share | Target | Year | Mandatory | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
World | 33.3% global capacity [18] 26% global power generation [19] | N/A, varies by country | |||
EU-25 | 14% | 21% | 2020 | ||
EU | 20% in 2020 [12] 17.5% in 2017 [20] | 35% [21] | 2030 [13] |
Country | Current Share % | Target | Target year | Mandatory | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albania | 34.9% | 38% | 2030 | Targets are for primary energy consumption. 95% of electrical energy is produced from renewables (mainly hydropower). | [22] | |
Austria | 33.5% [23] | 78% | ||||
Belgium | 16% [24] | Belgian energy and climate plan proposes renewables target of 18.3% by 2030 [25] | ||||
Bulgaria | 18.7% [26] | 27% [27] | 2030 | |||
Czech Republic | 14.8% [26] | |||||
Croatia | 27.3% [26] | |||||
Cyprus | 9.9% [26] | |||||
Denmark | 35% [28] | 100% [29] | 2035 | |||
Estonia | 30% [30] | The share of renewable energy will account for 50% of final consumption of domestic electricity and 80% of the heat generated [31] | 2030 | |||
Finland | 41% [20] | Finland will go carbon neutral [32] | 2035 | |||
France | 23% | 40% by 2030 [33] 33% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030 [34] | 2030 | Renewables can regularly cover 25% of France's summer electricity needs, grid operator RTE said on Wednesday. [35] | ||
Germany | 47% [36] | 40-45% of total electricity consumption [36] | 2025 | |||
Greece | 16.3% [26] | 35% [37] | 2030 | |||
Hungary | 13.3% [26] | |||||
Ireland | 10.7% [26] | 70% [38] | 2030 | |||
Italy | 18.3% [26] | 25% | ||||
Latvia | 39% [20] | Latvia is proposed to set a 45% RES target for 2030 [30] | 2030 | |||
Lithuania | 27.9% [39] | 38% by 2025 [40] 45% by 2030 and around 80% by 2050 [41] | ||||
Norway | 100% | |||||
Iceland | 100% | |||||
Luxembourg | 6.4% [20] | |||||
Malta | 7.2% [20] | |||||
Netherlands | 6.6% [20] | |||||
Poland | 14% [42] | |||||
Portugal | 58% | 80% | 2026 | [43] | ||
Romania | 24.5% [26] | |||||
Slovakia | 11.5% [26] | 31% | ||||
Slovenia | 21.5% [26] | |||||
Spain | 17.5% [26] | 100% [44] | 2050 | |||
Sweden | 54.5% [20] | 100% [45] | 2040 | |||
Switzerland | 60% [46] | 100% [46] | 2050 | |||
United Kingdom | 40% [47] | 100% [48] | 2050 | |||
Country | Current share | Target | Target year | Mandatory | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Argentina | 2% [49] | 20% [49] | 2025 | |||
Australia | 23.5% [50] | 23.5% by 2020 [50] predicted to produce 35% by 2021 [51] projected to produce 50% renewable energy by 2030 [52] | 2030 | |||
Brazil | 50% | |||||
Canada | 67% [53] | Carbon neutral by 2050 [54] | 2050 | Canada aims to generate 90% of its electrical energy from non-emitting sources by 2030. [55] Already, it generates 82% from non-emitting sources with 67% of electrical energy production being from renewables. [53] | ||
Chile | 17.6% (2019) | 20% | 2025 | [56] | ||
70% | 2030 | |||||
China | 12% [57] 2015 | 35% [58] | 2030 | |||
Egypt | 10% | 20% | 2020 | |||
Eritrea | 70% | 2030 | [59] | |||
Greenland | 70% [60] | |||||
India | 21.4% [61] | 40% by 2030 and 500GW by 2030 [61] | 2030 | |||
Indonesia | 4% | 15% (inc. nuclear) | 2025 | |||
Israel | 0% | 5% | 2016 | |||
Japan | 0.4% | 1.63% | 2014 | |||
Kazakhstan | 3% | 2020 | Targets refer to electrical energy generation. Kazakhstan has a 2060 carbon neutrality target. | [62] [63] | ||
30% | 2030 | |||||
50% | 2050 | |||||
Malaysia | 35% (electrical) | 2025 | [64] | |||
25% (primary energy supply) | ||||||
Mexico | 26% [14] | 35% by 2024 and 50% by 2050 [65] | 2024 | |||
Morocco | 10% | 20% | 2012 | |||
New Zealand | 80% | 100% [66] | 2035 | |||
Nigeria | 7% | 2025 | ||||
Oman | 16% | 2025 | [67] | |||
30% | 2030 | |||||
Pakistan | 10% | 2015 | ||||
Philippines | 100% increase from 2005 | 2015 | ||||
Russia | 2.5% | 2024 | ||||
South Africa | 26% [68] | 2030 | ||||
South Korea | 6.08% | 2020 | ||||
Taiwan | 6% | 12% | 2020 | |||
Thailand | 7% | 20% | 2022 | |||
UAE | 50% | 2050 | [69] | |||
United States | 23% [70] | 100% | 2035 | Proposed and promised by US president Joe Biden. | ||
Vietnam | 5% | 2020 | ||||
Renewable energy is energy from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. Renewable resources include sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy sources are sustainable, some are not. For example, some biomass sources are considered unsustainable at current rates of exploitation. Renewable energy is often used for electricity generation, heating and cooling. Renewable energy projects are typically large-scale, but they are also suited to rural and remote areas and developing countries, where energy is often crucial in human development. Renewable energy is often deployed together with further electrification, which has several benefits: electricity can move heat or objects efficiently, and is clean at the point of consumption.
Renewable energy plays an important and growing role in the energy system of the European Union. The Europe 2020 strategy included a target of reaching 20% of gross final energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020, and at least 32% by 2030. The EU27 reached 22.1% in 2020, up from 9.6% in 2004, but declined to 21.8% in 2021. These figures are based on energy use in all its forms across all three main sectors, the heating and cooling sector, the electricity sector, and the transport sector.
Clean technology, in short cleantech or climatetech, is any process, product, or service that reduces negative environmental impacts through significant energy efficiency improvements, the sustainable use of resources, or environmental protection activities. Clean technology includes a broad range of technology related to recycling, renewable energy, information technology, green transportation, electric motors, green chemistry, lighting, grey water, and more. Environmental finance is a method by which new clean technology projects can obtain financing through the generation of carbon credits. A project that is developed with concern for climate change mitigation is also known as a carbon project.
The energy policy of the European Union focuses on energy security, sustainability, and integrating the energy markets of member states. An increasingly important part of it is climate policy. A key energy policy adopted in 2009 is the 20/20/20 objectives, binding for all EU Member States. The target involved increasing the share of renewable energy in its final energy use to 20%, reduce greenhouse gases by 20% and increase energy efficiency by 20%. After this target was met, new targets for 2030 were set at a 55% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as part of the European Green Deal. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU's energy policy turned more towards energy security in their REPowerEU policy package, which boosts both renewable deployment and fossil fuel infrastructure for alternative suppliers.
A low-carbon economy (LCE) or decarbonised economy is an economy based on energy sources that produce low levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. GHG emissions due to human activity are the dominant cause of observed climate change since the mid-20th century. Continued emission of greenhouse gases will cause long-lasting changes around the world, increasing the likelihood of severe, pervasive, and irreversible effects for people and ecosystems. Shifting to a low-carbon economy on a global scale could bring substantial benefits both for developed and developing countries. Many countries around the world are designing and implementing low-emission development strategies (LEDS). These strategies seek to achieve social, economic, and environmental development goals while reducing long-term greenhouse gas emissions and increasing resilience to the effects of climate change.
Solar power is a fast-growing industry in Australia. As of June 2023, Australia's over 3.52 million solar PV installations had a combined capacity of 32,095 MW photovoltaic (PV) solar power, of which at least 4,389 MW were installed in the preceding 12 months. In 2019, 59 solar PV projects with a combined capacity of 2,881 MW were either under construction, constructed or due to start construction having reached financial closure. Solar accounted for 12.4% of Australia's total electrical energy production in 2021.
The energy policy of Australia is subject to the regulatory and fiscal influence of all three levels of government in Australia, although only the State and Federal levels determine policy for primary industries such as coal. Federal policies for energy in Australia continue to support the coal mining and natural gas industries through subsidies for fossil fuel use and production. Australia is the 10th most coal-dependent country in the world. Coal and natural gas, along with oil-based products, are currently the primary sources of Australian energy usage and the coal industry produces over 30% of Australia's total greenhouse gas emissions. In 2018 Australia was the 8th highest emitter of greenhouse gases per capita in the world.
Energy security is the association between national security and the availability of natural resources for energy consumption. Access to cheaper energy has become essential to the functioning of modern economies. However, the uneven distribution of energy supplies among countries has led to significant vulnerabilities. International energy relations have contributed to the globalization of the world leading to energy security and energy vulnerability at the same time.
Renewable energy in Australia includes wind power, hydroelectricity, solar photovoltaics, heat pumps, geothermal, wave and solar thermal energy.
Renewable energy commercialization involves the deployment of three generations of renewable energy technologies dating back more than 100 years. First-generation technologies, which are already mature and economically competitive, include biomass, hydroelectricity, geothermal power and heat. Second-generation technologies are market-ready and are being deployed at the present time; they include solar heating, photovoltaics, wind power, solar thermal power stations, and modern forms of bioenergy. Third-generation technologies require continued R&D efforts in order to make large contributions on a global scale and include advanced biomass gasification, hot-dry-rock geothermal power, and ocean energy. As of 2012, renewable energy accounts for about half of new nameplate electrical capacity installed and costs are continuing to fall.
Renewable energy in developing countries is an increasingly used alternative to fossil fuel energy, as these countries scale up their energy supplies and address energy poverty. Renewable energy technology was once seen as unaffordable for developing countries. However, since 2015, investment in non-hydro renewable energy has been higher in developing countries than in developed countries, and comprised 54% of global renewable energy investment in 2019. The International Energy Agency forecasts that renewable energy will provide the majority of energy supply growth through 2030 in Africa and Central and South America, and 42% of supply growth in China.
Greenhouse gas emissions by Australia totalled 533 million tonnes CO2-equivalent based on greenhouse gas national inventory report data for 2019; representing per capita CO2e emissions of 21 tons, three times the global average. Coal was responsible for 30% of emissions. The national Greenhouse Gas Inventory estimates for the year to March 2021 were 494.2 million tonnes, which is 27.8 million tonnes, or 5.3%, lower than the previous year. It is 20.8% lower than in 2005. According to the government, the result reflects the decrease in transport emissions due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, reduced fugitive emissions, and reductions in emissions from electricity; however, there were increased greenhouse gas emissions from the land and agriculture sectors.
A low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) is an emissions trading rule designed to reduce the average carbon intensity of transportation fuels in a given jurisdiction, as compared to conventional petroleum fuels, such as gasoline and diesel. The most common methods for reducing transportation carbon emissions are supplying electricity to electric vehicles, supplying hydrogen fuel to fuel cell vehicles and blending biofuels, such as ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, and renewable natural gas into fossil fuels. The main purpose of a low-carbon fuel standard is to decrease carbon dioxide emissions associated with vehicles powered by various types of internal combustion engines while also considering the entire life cycle, in order to reduce the carbon footprint of transportation.
The Polish energy sector is the sixth largest in Europe. The scale of energy consumption in 1996–2015 increased from 139,593 GWh to 161,438 GWh. According to the data of Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne (PSE), electricity production in October 2020 amounted to 13,553 GWh; domestic consumption amounted to 14,798 GWh.
Total primary energy supply (TPES) in Slovenia was 6.80 Mtoe in 2019. In the same year, electricity production was 16.1 TWh, consumption was 14.9 TWh.
Solar power in France including overseas territories reached an installed capacity figure of 11.2 GW in 2020, and rose further to 17.1 GW at the end of 2022. Government plans announced in 2022 foresee solar PV capacity in France rising to 100 GW by 2050.
The Energiewende is the ongoing transition by Germany to a low carbon, environmentally sound, reliable, and affordable energy supply. The new system intends to rely heavily on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and energy demand management.
By the end of 2016 Austria already fulfilled their EU Renewables Directive goal for the year 2020. By 2016 renewable energies accounted to 33.5% of the final energy consumption in all sectors. The renewable energy sector is also accountable for hosting 41,591 jobs and creating a revenue of 7,219 million euros in 2016.
Greenhouse gas emissions by China are the largest of any country in the world both in production and consumption terms, and stem mainly from coal burning in China, including coal-fired power stations, coal mining, and blast furnaces producing iron and steel. When measuring production-based emissions, China emitted over 14 gigatonnes (Gt) CO2eq of greenhouse gases in 2019, 27% of the world total. When measuring in consumption-based terms, which adds emissions associated with imported goods and extracts those associated with exported goods, China accounts for 13 gigatonnes (Gt) or 25% of global emissions.
Energy in Wales is the production of electricity in Wales.