Electricity demand rose by 70% between 1980 and 2008
This trend towards electrification is expected to continue and reflects the substitution of fossil fuels with electricity in prime sectors such as heating and transport.
Electricity efficiency has increased
Power Statistics 2010 shows a clear de-coupling of electricity generation from fuel consumption, a trend that is expected to become even more significant in the next 20 years.
The electricity industry is moving to low carbon emissions and high environmental standards
Power Statistics 2010 sheds light on a continuous decrease in CO2 emissions, as well as in other gases (SO2 and NOx). CO2 emissions from electricity generation fell by 25 % in relative terms between 1980 and 2008, and will be halved by 2030. Compared to 1980, SO2 emissions have been reduced by 80 % and NOx emissions by 60 %.
Power is and will be generated using all available technologies
Power Statistics 2010 shows that the entire range of power generation technologies has been used, although the proportions have shifted over time. This diversified mix is crucial to ensure security of supply and to achieve an optimal balance between intermittent renewable energy sources (RES) and flexible and back-up capacity.
The electricity industry has invested significantly in RES capacity
Power Statistics 2010 shows that the electricity industry has taken up the challenge and has become a significant investor in ‘new’ RES (mainly wind, solar and biomass), whose capacity in 2008 was almost 60 times the capacity in 1980. But for the industry to deliver in an optimal way – carbon-neutral, commercially viable, at affordable prices – an integrated European electricity market is needed.
