Page - 21 - in Water, Energy, and Environment - A Primer

2.4.3 Electrification As mentioned previously, increasing electrification was a defining characteristic of energy supply in the 20th century and continues to define the 21st. In fact, it is the electrification made possible by use of distributed renewable electric technologies, such as solar, wind and hydropower, that is enabling the delivery of energy services to remote parts of the world. Combined with increasing sensitivity to the negative impacts of fossil fuel combustion, this increasing use of renewable energy technologies (and, to some extent, nuclear) in place of fossil fuels constitutes an energy supply revolution. This transition took its first tentative steps in the latter part of the 20th century and is now developing rapidly. It has the potential to improve the welfare of hundreds of millions if not billions of people as our newcenturyprogresses. In 2017 fossil fuels were used to generate 65% of world electricity, with coal accounting for 38%, natural gas 23%, and oil 4%. The corresponding figures for other supply sources Figure 2.6 Total primary energy supply by fuel (Source: International EnergyAgency). Energyand itsglobal context 21