.png)
The first step to net zero was obvious: swap out fossil energy sources for renewables.
The old way was needlessly inefficient and complicated. We spent so much time and effort to find and dig up oil, coal, and gas, only to burn it and start over.
Renewables work differently.
Solar energy does not deplete the sun of its energy. And wind farms do not come at the expense of the wind.
As you know, it took a while for renewable energy to gain momentum. Even when renewables were cleaner and less dangerous for human health, they were more expensive.
According to critics, it was always “too early, too expensive, too unreliable”.
That was until the early 2020s, when the price of renewable energy dipped below that of fossil fuels. Politicians, businesses, and investors saw the writing on the wall.
CONTINUEThese were Europe’s non-fossil power plants back in 2020, when we relied on fossil fuels for three-quarters of our energy.
Select any category in the legend to see how they were scattered across the continent.
Isn’t it fascinating how the landscape started playing a role in energy production? Hydropower from up in the mountains and geothermal energy thanks to nearby volcanoes.
Solar energy is the odd one out. Do you see how most of its capacity was built in countries well-known for bouts of sad, grey weather, like Germany and the UK? That was before the southern solar boom.
In the early 21st century, nuclear and hydropower ruled the low-carbon energy game. But that would soon change.
Since then, solar and wind energy have taken over.
In the gusty North Sea, offshore wind parks came online in rapid succession with capacities of up to 4 gigawatts.
I understand a number like that might not mean much. But that’s enough energy for three million households.
The first time I flew by one of those wind farms, I fancied I was sightseeing a marine metropolis built by giants from the future.
The horizon was brimming with hundreds of wind turbines that made Big Ben look cute. As I stared out of the window, it hit me that we were harnessing incredible power from a source that has always been available.
Once solar and wind energy became cheaper than fossil fuels in the early 2020s, they began to generate almost all of our renewable energy.
Solar energy booked early successes in Germany and the Netherlands: countries known for unpredictable weather that never was particularly sunny.
However, Germany’s early investments in solar technology aided the rapid spread of solar energy in Europe down the line.
And since there are plenty of sunny places outside of Germany and the Netherlands, the southern solar boom was inevitable.
Together, solar and wind generate almost all the renewable energy we gained since their priced dipped below that of fossil fuels.
Looking back now, it’s pretty funny.
We were so obsessed with our short-term goals that we overlooked the paradigm shift propelling us forward.
Clean energy had always seemed like an "ethical extra"—never the winning strategy for big business. Until it took off, and we didn’t look back.
Sure, some countries didn’t go above and beyond. But others outperformed their objectives by a lot. And why quit while the going was good?
As prices for renewable energy continued to plummet, investing in clean energy felt like moving money from your pocket to your wallet.
Just as well, because moving away from fossil fuels meant moving towards electricity everywhere.