European Union | Electricity production from hydroelectric sources (% of total)

Sources of electricity refer to the inputs used to generate electricity. Hydropower refers to electricity produced by hydroelectric power plants. Development relevance: Electrical energy from hydropower is derived from turbines being driven by flowing water in rivers, with or without man-made dams forming reservoirs. Presently, hydropower is the world's largest source of renewable electricity. Hydropower represents the largest share of renewable electricity production. It was second only to wind power for new-built capacities between 2005 and 2010. IEA estimates that hydropower could produce up to 6,000 terawatt-hours in 2050, roughly twice as much as today. Hydropower's storage capacity and fast response characteristics are especially valuable to meet sudden fluctuations in electricity demand and to match supply from less flexible electricity sources and variable renewable sources, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind power. Use of energy is important in improving people's standard of living. But electricity generation also can damage the environment. Whether such damage occurs depends largely on how electricity is generated. For example, burning coal releases twice as much carbon dioxide - a major contributor to global warming - as does burning an equivalent amount of natural gas. Anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions result primarily from fossil fuel combustion and cement manufacturing. In combustion different fossil fuels release different amounts of carbon dioxide for the same level of energy use: oil releases about 50 percent more carbon dioxide than natural gas, and coal releases about twice as much. Nuclear energy does not generate carbon dioxide emissions, but it produces other dangerous waste products. Limitations and exceptions: IEA occasionally revises its time series to reflect political changes. For example, the IEA has constructed historical energy statistics for countries of the former Soviet Union. In addition, energy statistics for other countries have undergone continuous changes in coverage or methodology in recent years as more detailed energy accounts have become available. Breaks in series are therefore unavoidable. Statistical concept and methodology: Electricity production is total number of kWh generated by power plants separated into electricity plants and CHP plants. The International Energy Agency (IEA) compiles data on energy inputs used to generate electricity. IEA data for countries that are not members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are based on national energy data adjusted to conform to annual questionnaires completed by OECD member governments. In addition, estimates are sometimes made to complete major aggregates from which key data are missing, and adjustments are made to compensate for differences in definitions. The IEA makes these estimates in consultation with national statistical offices, oil companies, electric utilities, and national energy experts.
Publisher
The World Bank
Origin
European Union
Records
63
Source
European Union | Electricity production from hydroelectric sources (% of total)
1960 35.59500262
1961 33.47557396
1962 30.67469905
1963 31.54013932
1964 27.41584281
1965 29.33327151
1966 30.07152043
1967 27.42773934
1968 25.94921094
1969 23.19031565
1970 21.00470084
1971 20.41363153
1972 19.8430826
1973 18.33372329
1974 19.08487883
1975 19.04088901
1976 15.19881641
1977 19.61709399
1978 18.10130519
1979 18.23191804
1980 16.81617838
1981 16.51421396
1982 16.10317379
1983 15.9396169
1984 15.44740356
1985 14.82904656
1986 13.64448101
1987 14.47344653
1988 14.97311495
1989 11.91991302
1990 12.62619779
1991 12.9384614
1992 13.54754249
1993 13.89191507
1994 14.10389362
1995 13.68822184
1996 13.28661489
1997 13.41127126
1998 13.57178644
1999 13.36976249
2000 13.36964118
2001 13.85568913
2002 11.5279118
2003 10.89066052
2004 11.26248517
2005 10.65152624
2006 10.58197534
2007 10.46058451
2008 11.01300601
2009 11.72942517
2010 12.62835704
2011 10.55300291
2012 11.37973127
2013 12.72801011
2014 13.0704362
2015 11.67339285
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022

European Union | Electricity production from hydroelectric sources (% of total)

Sources of electricity refer to the inputs used to generate electricity. Hydropower refers to electricity produced by hydroelectric power plants. Development relevance: Electrical energy from hydropower is derived from turbines being driven by flowing water in rivers, with or without man-made dams forming reservoirs. Presently, hydropower is the world's largest source of renewable electricity. Hydropower represents the largest share of renewable electricity production. It was second only to wind power for new-built capacities between 2005 and 2010. IEA estimates that hydropower could produce up to 6,000 terawatt-hours in 2050, roughly twice as much as today. Hydropower's storage capacity and fast response characteristics are especially valuable to meet sudden fluctuations in electricity demand and to match supply from less flexible electricity sources and variable renewable sources, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind power. Use of energy is important in improving people's standard of living. But electricity generation also can damage the environment. Whether such damage occurs depends largely on how electricity is generated. For example, burning coal releases twice as much carbon dioxide - a major contributor to global warming - as does burning an equivalent amount of natural gas. Anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions result primarily from fossil fuel combustion and cement manufacturing. In combustion different fossil fuels release different amounts of carbon dioxide for the same level of energy use: oil releases about 50 percent more carbon dioxide than natural gas, and coal releases about twice as much. Nuclear energy does not generate carbon dioxide emissions, but it produces other dangerous waste products. Limitations and exceptions: IEA occasionally revises its time series to reflect political changes. For example, the IEA has constructed historical energy statistics for countries of the former Soviet Union. In addition, energy statistics for other countries have undergone continuous changes in coverage or methodology in recent years as more detailed energy accounts have become available. Breaks in series are therefore unavoidable. Statistical concept and methodology: Electricity production is total number of kWh generated by power plants separated into electricity plants and CHP plants. The International Energy Agency (IEA) compiles data on energy inputs used to generate electricity. IEA data for countries that are not members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are based on national energy data adjusted to conform to annual questionnaires completed by OECD member governments. In addition, estimates are sometimes made to complete major aggregates from which key data are missing, and adjustments are made to compensate for differences in definitions. The IEA makes these estimates in consultation with national statistical offices, oil companies, electric utilities, and national energy experts.
Publisher
The World Bank
Origin
European Union
Records
63
Source