The sun finally set on coal-powered electricity in Britain last September when the generators near the English village of Ratcliffe-on-Soar were shut down for the last time.
The move away from fossil fuels to clean energy is on the rise
In case you missed it, there's been a whole lot of progress – both here in B.C., and beyond – in shifting away from our heavy reliance on fossil fuels.
The organization that brings us the 55th anniversary of Earth Day urges us all to believe in the lofty goal of tripling the renewable generation of energy by 2030. As Earth Day 2025 arrives on April 22, there's every reason to believe that the world can meet that goal for renewable power.
Suddenly, the idea of Earth Action Day – where we're all asked to educate, activate, mobilize, and pledge – starts to feel like our chance to join the winning team.
Here are 10 pieces of good news about renewable energy.
1. Our electricity generation in B.C. is 98% renewable
We're fortunate here in B.C. to have an abundance of hydroelectricity, which accounts for more than 90% of our electricity generation. In combination with wind, solar, and biomass generation, we generate 98% of our electricity from renewable sources. At the same time, our electricity is among the most cost-effective and reliable on the continent.
2. The cost of renewable power is falling
Solar photovoltaic system costs have fallen by up to 90% in the last decade, and the cost of onshore wind power has decreased by 70% since 2009. It's no surprise that in our 2024 Call for Power, nine selected projects – with a combined capacity equivalent to powering 500,000 B.C. homes – were wind projects.
3. More than a third of all homes in Australia use solar power
By the end of 2024, almost 11 million homes in Australia were equipped with solar panels, with over 37% of all homes having solar generation. Did you know? We now offer rebates to help homes and businesses add solar power and battery storage.
4. In Kenya, geothermal power is a big thing
With more geothermal capacity under construction than any other country, Kenya expects to soon source at least half its electricity from heat within the earth. Once all projects are up and running, it could rank fourth in the world in geothermal generation, behind only the U.S., Indonesia, and the Philippines.
5. Britain shut down its last coal plant in 2024
The U.K. was the first country to build a coal power station in 1882, and by 1990, it was still generating 80% of its electricity from coal. However, last September, generating units at Britain's last coal-fired power plant, in the English village of Ratcliffe-on-Soar, were turned off for the final time.
The nation still has a long way to go to meet its goal of 100% net-zero carbon electricity by 2035, with natural gas the leading single source of electricity. But depending on the month, renewables (led by wind power) have accounted for as much as 56% of electricity produced.
6. Clean and affordable power spurs electric vehicle (EV) adoption
The case for switching to EVs is stronger in regions with renewable, affordable electricity and extensive charging networks. B.C. has one of the highest rates of EV adoption in North America, with more than 180,000 EVs on the road today. We're installing fast charging hubs along highway corridors and in urban areas, including recent installations in Surrey, Delta, and Colwood on Vancouver Island. The network currently includes 466 charging ports at 137 sites across B.C., and the number of charging ports – funded in a partnership with the Government of B.C. and Natural Resources Canada – is expected to almost double to 800 by spring 2026.
7. Over 50% of Denmark's electricity is from wind
In 2017, on a particularly windy day, Denmark was able to generate enough energy from its wind turbines to power the entire country for 24 hours. By 2023, wind power produced 60% of Denmark's electricity, making it the country with the highest share of wind energy in its electricity mix.
8. Uruguay gets 98% of its power from renewables
Back in 2008, the Uruguayan government promised that an ambitious renewable energy program would result in an 88% cut in carbon emissions by 2017, compared with the 2005–2009 average. And they delivered, with electricity generation – mainly wind and hydroelectric – accounting for 98% of the country's production by 2019.
9. Businesses and industry are embracing clean energy
The notion that switching from fossil fuels to clean energy isn't good business flies in the face of reality. Over the past couple years, we've been highlighting made-in-B.C. examples of businesses big and small who have emerged as Clean Energy Champions. These include stories about a university building facilities to the Passive House standard, an all-electric firehall, a greenhouse operation that uses clean electricity to grow veggies year-round, a marine transportation company that's added electric employee shuttles and tugboats, and an all-electric high school.
We want to meet more British Columbians who are finding ways to use clean energy to power their small businesses. Nominate a small business.
10. Growing the clean energy industry is creating millions of jobs
The International Energy Agency estimates that about 5 million jobs in fossil fuel production could be lost by 2030, however approximately 14 million new jobs would be created in clean energy, resulting in a net gain of 9 million jobs. Globally, investment in clean energy is almost twice that of investment in fossil fuel.