World Energy Development Trends in the 21st Century

Abstract

The annual worldwide electricity production for the period from 2010 to 2020 – in total and in the first 22 countries ranked by the annual production in 2020 exceeding 200 billion kWh (TWh) – is analyzed. The share of the leading in the annual worldwide electricity production amounted to 82.3%; therefore, the processes occurring in the energy sector of these countries adequately reflect the processes in the world energy as a whole. The influence of the crisis phenomena in the economies of the countries, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, on the production of electricity in general and by the types of fuel and energy is revealed. The fact of the largest total capacity commissioned per annum and the amount of electricity production at photovoltaic (PVPP) and wind (WPP) power plants for the entire renewable energy development period is pointed out. At the same time, it is noted that the amount of electricity produced in 2020 worldwide and in the majority of countries was somewhat smaller in comparison with that in 2019. The data on the capacity and production of electricity at photovoltaic and wind power plants in the UES of Russia are given. The amount of RES capacities to be commissioned for the share of renewable energy sources in the total electricity production in Russia to reach 4.5% is estimated.