At least 10 countries are on track to get more than two-thirds of their electricity from wind and solar by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency.
The context: A handful of nations have already reached — or come close to — the 100% renewables mark, including Norway, New Zealand, Iceland, Costa Rica, Kenya, Bhutan, and Paraguay. However, they relied on traditional technologies — including hydro and first-generation geothermal power plants — and most countries don’t have access to these resources in abundance.
Some others, including France, get most of their electricity from low-carbon nuclear power.
The latest: The IEA’s 2024 renewable energy stocktake focuses partly on the countries that are leading the shift to variable renewable energy technologies — primarily wind and solar, which are now the cheapest sources of generating capacity in much of the world.
Denmark is the current frontrunner, and is on track to get within touching distance of 100% renewables by the end of the decade, the IEA projects.
In the first nine months of 2024, wind and solar accounted for 72% of Danish power output, data collated by climate and energy research group Ember shows. Bioenergy, a more polluting renewable energy technology, comprised another 10% of the mix.
Other European countries — Portugal, Greece, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, the UK, and Ireland — are also leading the transition to wind and solar. Of those, Portugal is expected to move the fastest in the years ahead — it’s on track to get to above 90% renewable power by 2030, per the IEA.
Elsewhere, Chile is also likely to breach the 90% mark by the decade’s end. The country has relied heavily on wind and solar amid a rapid coal phase-out.
By 2030, 10 countries are expected to reach or surpass the 66% wind and solar level, and 19 could have more than half their electricity produced from the two technologies, the IEA says.
To smooth the path forward, these nations will need to invest deeper in battery storage, transmission infrastructure, and demand-response programmes.
Yes, but: The IEA report doesn’t include the likes of Scotland — the UK’s wind energy hub already generates enough renewable energy to cover its annual electricity needs — and Uruguay, which recently ran on 100% renewable power for 10 straight months.
In a separate report, the IEA said renewables will generate close to half of global electricity by 2030, up from slightly over 30% today.