Electric energy consumption is energy consumption in the form of electrical energy. [2] About a fifth of global energy is consumed as electricity: for residential, industrial, commercial, transportation and other purposes. [2] Quickly increasing this share by further electrification is extremely important to limit climate change, [3] because most other energy is consumed by burning fossil fuels thus emitting greenhouse gases which trap heat. [4]
The global electricity consumption in 2022 was 24,398 terawatt-hour (TWh), almost exactly three times the amount of consumption in 1981 (8,132 TWh). [5] China, the United States, India and Japan accounted for more than half of the global share of electricity consumption. [5]
Electric energy is most often measured either in joules (J), or in watt hours (W·h). [6]
Electric and electronic devices consume electric energy to generate desired output (light, heat, motion, etc.). During operation, some part of the energy is lost depending on the electrical efficiency. [7]
Electricity has been generated in power stations since 1882. [8] The invention of the steam turbine in 1884 to drive the electric generator led to an increase in worldwide electricity consumption. [9]
In 2022, the total worldwide electricity production was nearly 29,000 TWh. [10] Total primary energy is converted into numerous forms, including, but not limited to, electricity, heat and motion. [11] Some primary energy is lost during the conversion to electricity, as seen in the United States, where a little more than 60% was lost in 2022. [11]
Electricity accounted for more than 20% of worldwide final energy consumption in 2022, with oil being less than 40%, coal being less than 9%, natural gas being less than 15%, biofuels and waste less than 10%, and other sources (such as heat, solar electricity, wind electricity and geothermal) being more than 5%. [12] The total final electricity consumption in 2022 was split unevenly between the following sectors: industry (42.2%), residential (26.8%), commercial and public services (21.1%), transport (1.8%), and other (8.1%; i.e., agriculture and fishing). [12] In 1981, the final electricity consumption continued to decrease in the industrial sector and increase in the residential, commercial and public services sectors. [12]
A sensitivity analysis on an adaptive neuro-fuzzy network model for electric demand estimation shows that employment is the most critical factor influencing electrical consumption. [13] The study used six parameters as input data, employment, GDP, dwelling, population, heating degree day and cooling degree day, with electricity demand as output variable. [13]
The table lists 45 electricity-consuming countries, which used about 22,000 TWh. These countries comprise about 90% of the final consumption of 190+ countries. The final consumption to generate this electricity is provided for every country. The data is from 2022. [10] [14]
In 2022, OECD's final electricity consumption was over 10,000 TWh. [5] In that year, the industrial sector consumed about 42.2% of the electricity, with the residential sector consuming nearly 26.8%, the commercial and public services sectors consuming about 21.1%, the transport sector consuming nearly 1.8%, and the other sectors (such as agriculture and fishing) consuming nearly 8.1%. [12] In recent decades, the consumption in the residential and commercial and public services sectors has grown, while the industry consumption has declined. [5] More recently, the transport sector has witnessed an increase in consumption with the growth in the electric vehicle market. [5]
Rank | Country | Final consumption (TWh) | Population (millions) | Per capita consumption (MWh) |
---|---|---|---|---|
— | WORLD | 24,398 | 7,960 | 3.07 |
1 | China | 7,214 | 1,443 | 5 |
2 | United States | 4,272 | 336 | 12.71 |
3 | India | 1,403 | 1,401 | 1 |
4 | Japan | 1,132 | 126 | 8.98 |
5 | Russia | 934 | 146 | 6.4 |
6 | Canada | 595 | 38.1 | 15.62 |
7 | South Korea | 553 | 51.2 | 10.8 |
8 | Brazil | 550 | 215 | 2.56 |
9 | Germany | 539 | 82.2 | 6.55 |
10 | France | 463 | 67.7 | 6.84 |
11 | Saudi Arabia | 317 | 36 | 8.81 |
12 | United Kingdom | 312 | 68.4 | 4.56 |
13 | Italy | 300 | 60 | 5 |
14 | Mexico | 296 | 127 | 2.33 |
15 | Iran | 280 | 83.3 | 3.36 |
16 | Turkey | 264 | 84 | 3.14 |
17 | Taiwan | 257 | 23.8 [15] | 10.8 |
18 | Spain | 246 | 46.8 | 5.26 |
19 | South Africa | 233 | 60 | 3.88 |
20 | Australia | 225 | 26 | 8.65 |
21 | Vietnam | 220 | 100 | 2.2 |
22 | Thailand | 203 | 70 | 2.9 |
23 | Malaysia | 170 | 33.2 | 5.12 |
24 | Egypt | 168 | 105 | 1.6 |
25 | Poland | 156 | 37.5 | 4.17 |
26 | Ukraine | 154 | 43.2 | 3.56 |
27 | Sweden | 147 | 10.2 | 14.4 |
28 | Argentina | 138 | 46 | 3 |
29 | United Arab Emirates | 136 | 10.2 | 13.33 |
30 | Norway | 128 | 5.5 | 23.27 |
31 | Pakistan | 124 | 226 | 0.55 |
32 | Netherlands | 120 | 17.5 | 6.86 |
33 | Belgium | 98 | 11.8 | 8.33 |
34 | Finland | 90 | 5.6 | 16.03 |
35 | Chile | 84 | 19.2 | 4.38 |
36 | Kazakhstan | 75 | 18.7 | 4 |
37 | Austria | 73 | 9.1 | 8.02 |
38 | Venezuela | 72 | 28.1 | 2.56 |
39 | Algeria | 66 | 44 | 1.5 |
40 | Switzerland | 62 | 9.3 | 6.67 |
41 | Israel | 59 | 9.4 | 6.27 |
42 | New Zealand | 43 | 5 | 8.6 |
43 | Denmark | 35 | 5.8 | 6.02 |
44 | Ireland | 28 | 5.5 | 5.1 |
45 | Iceland | 20 | 0.36 | 55.6 |
The final consumption divided by the number of inhabitants provides a country's consumption per capita. In Western Europe, this is between 4 and 8 MWh/year. [10] (1 MWh = 1,000 kWh) In Scandinavia, the United States, Canada, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom, the per capita consumption is higher; however, in developing countries, it is much lower. [10] The world's average was about 3 MWh/year in 2022. [10] Very low consumption levels, such as those in Indonesia and the Philippines, not included in the table, indicate that many inhabitants are not connected to the electricity grid, and that is the reason why some of the world's most populous countries, incl. Nigeria and Bangladesh, do not appear in the table. [14]
The table lists 30 countries, which represent about 76% of the world population, 84% of the world GDP, and 85% of the world electricity generation. [10] [14] [16] [17] Productivity per electricity generation (concept similar to energy intensity) can be measured by dividing GDP over the electricity generated. The data is from 2019. [10] [14] [16] [17]
Country | Population, millions | rank* | GDP (PPP), billions (USD) | rank* | GDP (PPP) per capita | rank* | Electricity generation (GWh/yr) | rank* | GDP (PPP) /kWh* |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
China | 1,407 | 1 | $14,280 | 2 | $10,149 | 15 | 7,503,428 | 1 | $1.9 |
India | 1,366 | 2 | $2,871 | 6 | $2,102 | 26 | 1,603,675 | 3 | $1.8 |
USA | 328 | 3 | $21,433 | 1 | $65,345 | 1 | 4,411,159 | 2 | $4.9 |
Indonesia | 270.6 | 4 | $1,119 | 16 | $4,135 | 20 | 278,942 | 17 | $4.0 |
Brazil | 211 | 6 | $1,878 | 9 | $8,900 | 18 | 626,328 | 7 | $3.0 |
Pakistan | 216.6 | 5 | $279 | 26 | $1,288 | 28 | 138,626 | 24 | $2.0 |
Bangladesh | 163 | 8 | $302 | 25 | $1,853 | 27 | 89,672 | 27 | $3.4 |
Nigeria | 201 | 7 | $448 | 22 | $2,229 | 25 | 33,552 [18] | 28 | $13.4 |
Russia | 144 | 9 | $1,687 | 11 | $11,715 | 14 | 1,118,143 | 4 | $1.5 |
Japan | 126 | 11 | $5,149 | 3 | $40,865 | 7 | 1,030,286 | 5 | $5.0 |
Mexico | 127.6 | 10 | $1,269 | 15 | $9,945 | 16 | 322,584 | 13 | $3.9 |
Philippines | 108 | 13 | $377 | 23 | $3,491 | 21 | 106,041 | 26 | $3.6 |
Vietnam | 96.5 | 15 | $262 | 27 | $2,715 | 24 | 227,461 | 21 | $1.2 |
Ethiopia | 112 | 12 | $96 | 29 | $857 | 29 | 14,553 [19] | 29 | $6.6 |
Egypt | 100.4 | 14 | $303 | 24 | $3,018 | 23 | 200,563 | 22 | $1.5 |
Germany | 83 | 18 | $3,888 | 4 | $46,843 | 4 | 609,406 | 8 | $6.4 |
Turkey | 83.5 | 17 | $761 | 19 | $9,114 | 17 | 303,898 | 15 | $2.5 |
DR Congo | 86.8 | 16 | $50 | 30 | $576 | 30 | 9,990 [20] | 30 | $5.0 |
Iran | 83 | 19 | $258 | 28 | $3,108 | 22 | 318,696 | 14 | $0.8 |
Thailand | 69.6 | 20 | $544 | 21 | $7,816 | 19 | 186,503 | 23 | $2.9 |
France | 67.3 | 21 | $2,729 | 7 | $40,550 | 8 | 562,842 | 10 | $4.8 |
UK | 66.8 | 22 | $2,879 | 5 | $43,099 | 6 | 324,761 | 12 | $8.9 |
Italy | 59.7 | 23 | $2,009 | 8 | $33,652 | 9 | 293,853 | 16 | $6.8 |
South Korea | 51.7 | 24 | $1,651 | 12 | $31,934 | 10 | 585,301 | 9 | $2.8 |
Spain | 47.1 | 25 | $1,393 | 13 | $29,575 | 11 | 267,501 | 19 | $5.2 |
Canada | 37.6 | 26 | $1,742 | 10 | $46,330 | 5 | 648,676 | 6 | $2.7 |
Saudi Arabia | 34.3 | 27 | $793 | 18 | $23,120 | 13 | 343,661 | 11 | $2.3 |
Taiwan | 23.6 [15] | 28 | $605 [21] | 20 | $25,636 | 12 | 274,059 | 18 | $2.2 |
Australia | 25.4 | 29 | $1,392 | 14 | $54,803 | 2 | 265,901 | 20 | $5.2 |
Netherlands | 17.3 | 30 | $910 | 17 | $52,601 | 3 | 121,062 | 25 | $7.5 |
World | 7,683 | — | $87,555 | — | $11,395 | — | 27,044,191 | — | $3.5 |
|
The table below lists the 15 countries with the highest final electricity consumption, which comprised more than 70% of the global consumption in 2022. [10]
Country/ Geographical Region | Total (TWh) | Industry | Transport | Commercial /Public Services | Residential | Agriculture /Forestry | other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
China | 7,214 | 59.9% | 2.4% | 7.3% | 16.4% | 2.2% | 11.8% |
United States | 4,272 | 19.9% | 0.6% | 35.2% | 37.4% | 2.1% | 4.8% |
India | 1,403 | 37.7% | 11.2% | 7.8% | 21.7% | 15.9% | 5.7% |
Japan | 1,132 | 37% | 1.8% | 33.7% | 27.1% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
Russia | 934 | 44.8% | 11.1% | 20.4% | 21.1% | 2.5% | 0.1% |
Canada | 595 | 35.9% | 1.5% | 28.1% | 32.5% | 2.0% | 0% |
South Korea | 553 | 52.3% | 0.6% | 31.4% | 12.7% | 2.5% | 0.5% |
Brazil | 550 | 38.3% | 0.7% | 27.3% | 27.7% | 6% | 0% |
Germany | 539 | 44.8% | 2.3% | 26.4% | 25.4% | 1.1% | 0% |
France | 463 | 26.9% | 2.4% | 31.5% | 37% | 1.9% | 0.3% |
Saudi Arabia | 317 | 33.7% | 3.9% | 28.3% | 25% | 4.1% | 5% |
United Kingdom | 312 | 18.3% | 2.2% | 38.2% | 39.1% | 2% | 0.2% |
Italy | 300 | 30% | 5% | 32% | 30% | 1% | 2% |
Mexico | 296 | 29% | 4% | 33% | 30% | 3% | 1% |
Iran | 280 | 24% | 6% | 37% | 25% | 5% | 3% |
World | 24,398 | 42.2% | 1.8% | 21.1% | 26.8% | 3.1% | 5% |
This section needs to be updated.(February 2022) |
Looking forward, increasing energy efficiency will result in less electricity needed for a given demand in power, but demand will increase strongly on the account of: [22]
As transport and heating become more climate-friendly, the environmental effect of energy consumption will be more determined by electricity. [22]
The International Energy Agency expects revisions of subsidies for fossil fuels which amounted to $550 billion in 2013, more than four times renewable energy subsidies. In this scenario, [23] almost half of the increase in 2040 of electricity consumption is covered by more than 80% growth of renewable energy. Many new nuclear plants will be constructed, mainly to replace old ones. The nuclear part of electricity generation will increase from 11 to 12%. The renewable part goes up much more, from 21 to 33%. The IEA warns that in order to restrict global warming to 2 °C, carbon dioxide emissions [24] must not exceed 1000 gigaton (Gt) from 2014. This limit is reached in 2040 and emissions will not drop to zero ever.
The World Energy Council [25] sees world electricity consumption increasing to more than 40,000 TWh/a in 2040. The fossil part of generation depends on energy policy. It can stay around 70% in the so-called Jazz scenario where countries rather independently "improvise" but it can also decrease to around 40% in the Symphony scenario if countries work "orchestrated" for more climate friendly policy. Carbon dioxide emissions, 32 Gt/a in 2012, will increase to 46 Gt/a in Jazz but decrease to 26 Gt/a in Symphony. Accordingly, until 2040 the renewable part of generation will stay at about 20% in Jazz but increase to about 45% in Symphony.
An EU survey conducted on climate and energy consumption in 2022 found that 63% of people in the European Union want energy costs to be dependent on use, with the greatest consumers paying more. This is compared to 83% in China, 63% in the UK and 57% in the US. [26] [27] 24% of Americans surveyed believing that people and businesses should do more to cut their own usage (compared to 20% in the UK, 19% in the EU, and 17% in China). [28] [29]
Nearly half of those polled in the European Union (47%) and the United Kingdom (45%) want their government to focus on the development of renewable energies. This is compared to 37% in both the United States and China when asked to list their priorities on energy. [28] [30] [31]
Japan's primary energy consumption was 477.6 Mtoe in 2011, a decrease of 5% over the previous year. The country lacks significant domestic reserves of fossil fuel, except coal, and must import substantial amounts of crude oil, natural gas, and other energy resources, including uranium. Japan relied on oil imports to meet about 84% of its energy needs in 2010. Japan was also the first coal importer in 2010, with 187 Mt, and the first natural gas importer with 99 bcm. As of 2019, 88% of Japan's total primary energy supply came from fossil fuels.
Energy in the United States is obtained from a diverse portfolio of sources, although the majority came from fossil fuels in 2021, as 36% of the nation's energy originated from petroleum, 32% from natural gas, and 11% from coal. Electricity from nuclear power supplied 8% and renewable energy supplied 12%, which includes biomass, wind, hydro, solar and geothermal.
Norway is a large energy producer, and one of the world's largest exporters of oil. Most of the electricity in the country is produced by hydroelectricity. Norway is one of the leading countries in the electrification of its transport sector, with the largest fleet of electric vehicles per capita in the world.
China is both the world's largest energy consumer and the largest industrial country, and ensuring adequate energy supply to sustain economic growth has been a core concern of the Chinese Government since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Since the country's industrialization in the 1960s, China is currently the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and coal in China is a major cause of global warming. However, from 2010 to 2015 China reduced energy consumption per unit of GDP by 18%, and CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 20%. On a per-capita basis, China was only the world's 51st largest emitter of greenhouse gases in 2016. China is also the world's largest renewable energy producer, and the largest producer of hydroelectricity, solar power and wind power in the world. The energy policy of China is connected to its industrial policy, where the goals of China's industrial production dictate its energy demand managements.
Low-carbon electricity or low-carbon power is electricity produced with substantially lower greenhouse gas emissions over the entire lifecycle than power generation using fossil fuels. The energy transition to low-carbon power is one of the most important actions required to limit climate change.
The energy sector in Switzerland is, by its structure and importance, typical of a developed country. Apart from hydroelectric power and firewood, the country has few indigenous energy resources: oil products, natural gas and nuclear fuel are imported, so that in 2013 only 22.6% of primary energy consumption was supplied by local resources.
The energy mix is a group of different primary energy sources from which secondary energy for direct use - such as electricity - is produced. Energy mix refers to all direct uses of energy, such as transportation and housing, and should not be confused with power generation mix, which refers only to generation of electricity.
There is a large array of stakeholders that provide services through electricity generation, transmission, distribution and marketing for industrial, commercial, public and residential customers in the United States. It also includes many public institutions that regulate the sector. In 1996, there were 3,195 electric utilities in the United States, of which fewer than 1,000 were engaged in power generation. This leaves a large number of mostly smaller utilities engaged only in power distribution. There were also 65 power marketers. Of all utilities, 2,020 were publicly owned, 932 were rural electric cooperatives, and 243 were investor-owned utilities. The electricity transmission network is controlled by Independent System Operators or Regional Transmission Organizations, which are not-for-profit organizations that are obliged to provide indiscriminate access to various suppliers to promote competition.
Majority of electricity production in Sweden relies on hydro power and nuclear power. In 2008 the consumption of electricity in Sweden was 16018 kWh per capita, compared to EU average 7409 kWh per capita. Sweden has a national grid, which is part of the Synchronous grid of Northern Europe. A specialty of the Nordic energy market is the existence of so-called electricity price areas, which complicate the wholesale Nordic energy market.
The electric power industry in Japan covers the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electric energy in Japan. Japan consumed 995.26 TWh of electricity in 2014. Before the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, about a quarter of electricity in the country was generated by nuclear power. In the following years, most nuclear power plants have been on hold, being replaced mostly by coal and natural gas. Solar power is a growing source of electricity, and Japan has the third largest solar installed capacity with about 50 GW as of 2017.
The total electricity consumption of the Netherlands in 2021 was 117 terawatt-hours (TWh). The consumption grew from 7 TWh in 1950 by an average of 4.5% per year. In 2021, fossil fuels, such as natural gas and coal accounted for about 62% of the electricity produced electricity. Renewable energy sources, such as biomass, wind power, and solar power, produce 38% of the total electricity. One nuclear plant in the Netherlands, in Borssele, is responsible for about 3% of total generation. The majority of the electricity, more than 75%, is produced centrally by thermal and nuclear units.
Italy's total electricity consumption was 302.75 terawatt-hour (TWh) in 2020, of which 270.55 TWh (89.3%) was produced domestically and the remaining 10.7% was imported.
The electricity sector in Belgium describes electricity in Belgium. Production by power source in 2009 was 53% nuclear, 40% fossil electricity and 7% renewable electricity. 2% of production was exported in 2009. In 2008 import was 11%. Belgium is highly nuclear dependent country where the share of renewable electricity has been low. The share of renewable electricity was about 2% in 2005. Plan for 2020 is wind 10.5 TWh (9.5%), biomass 11 TWh and PV 1 TWh.
The electricity sector in Switzerland relies mainly on hydroelectricity, since the Alps cover almost two-thirds of the country's land mass, providing many large mountain lakes and artificial reservoirs suited for hydro power. In addition, the water masses drained from the Swiss Alps are intensively used by run-of-the-river hydroelectricity (ROR). With 9,052 kWh per person in 2008, the country's electricity consumption is relatively high and was 22% above the European Union's average.
South Africa has a large energy sector, being the third-largest economy in Africa. The country consumed 227 TWh of electricity in 2018. The vast majority of South Africa's electricity was produced from coal, with the fuel responsible for 88% of production in 2017. South Africa is the 7th largest coal producer in the world. As of July 2018, South Africa had a coal power generation capacity of 39 gigawatts (GW). South Africa is the world's 14th largest emitter of greenhouse gases. South Africa is planning to shift away from coal in the electricity sector and the country produces the most solar and wind energy by terawatt-hours in Africa. The country aims to decommission 34 GW of coal-fired power capacity by 2050. It also aims to build at least 20 GW of renewable power generation capacity by 2030. South Africa aims to generate 77,834 megawatts (MW) of electricity by 2030, with new capacity coming significantly from renewable sources to meet emission reduction targets. Through its goals stated in the Integrated Resource Plan, it announced the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme, which aims to increase renewable power generation through private sector investment.
Energy in Sweden describes energy and electricity production, consumption and import in Sweden. Electricity sector in Sweden is the main article of electricity in Sweden. The Swedish climate bill of February 2017 aims to make Sweden carbon neutral by 2045. The Swedish target is to decline emission of climate gases 63% from 1990 to 2030 and international transportation excluding foreign flights 70%. By 2014 just over half of the country's total final energy consumption in electricity, heating and cooling and transport combined was provided by renewables, the highest share amongst the then 28 EU member countries. About a third of Sweden's electricity is generated by nuclear power. In generating a year's worth of this energy, Swedes generate about 4 tonnes of CO2 emissions each. Since 2010, sustainability measures have reduced total emissions even as the population has increased.
Energy in Belarus describes energy and electricity production, consumption and import in Belarus. Belarus is a net energy importer. According to IEA, the energy import vastly exceeded the energy production in 2015, describing Belarus as one of the world's least energy sufficient countries in the world. Belarus is very dependent on Russia.
Turkey uses more electricity per person than the global average, but less than the European average, with demand peaking in summer due to air conditioning. Most electricity is generated from coal, gas and hydropower, with hydroelectricity from the east transmitted to big cities in the west. Electricity prices are state-controlled, but wholesale prices are heavily influenced by the cost of imported gas.
Denmark is a leading country in renewable energy production and usage. Renewable energy sources collectively produced 75% of Denmark's electricity generation in 2022, and are expected to provide 100% of national electric power production from 2030. Including energy use in the heating/cooling and transport sectors, Denmark is expected to reach 100% renewable energy in 2050, up from the 34% recorded in 2021.
World energy supply and consumption refers to the global primary energy production, energy conversion and trade, and final consumption of energy. Energy can be used in various different forms, as processed fuels or electricity, or for various different purposes, like for transportation or electricity generation. Energy production and consumption are an important part of the economy. A serious problem concerning energy production and consumption is greenhouse gas emissions. Of about 50 billion tonnes worldwide annual total greenhouse gas emissions, 36 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide was emitted due to energy in 2021.