Thread by @JigarShahDC

This claim about fossil fuels sounds compelling—but it’s misleading. Let’s break it down 🧵

Yes, fossil fuels were ~77% of global energy in 1995 and ~76% today.

But that stat hides what actually changed.

Hydro hasn’t really moved since 1995 and wind/solar came from nowhere.

The key issue: global energy demand has exploded.

So even if fossil fuels stayed a similar percentage, the total energy pie got MUCH bigger.

That means renewables didn’t “fail”—they grew massively, just alongside rising demand.

In fact, renewables are the fastest-growing energy sources in history.
•Solar costs ↓ ~90% since 2010
•Wind costs ↓ ~60–70%
•Deployment has scaled to almost 100% of all TWh growth last year (with new Nuclear)

That’s not “barely a dent.” That’s exponential growth.

The stat also relies on “primary energy,” which is a flawed comparison.

Fossil fuels waste a lot of energy as heat. Solar/wind/geothermal/hydro don’t.

So depending on how you measure, fossil fuels can look artificially dominant.

Look at electricity (where renewables actually compete):

Renewables now generate ~30%+ of global electricity—and rising fast.

Many regions already hit 50%+ at times.

That’s a real shift.

The “renewables are just add-ons” argument is outdated.

They’re increasingly becoming core infrastructure, supported by:
•Battery storage
•Grid upgrades
•Demand management

90%+ of everything added being wind/solar/batteries/nuclear is massive.

What about oil being “essential”?

Yes—oil is used for plastics, fertilizers, etc.

But most oil is still burned as fuel. What a waste of a valuable ingredient.

And alternatives (EVs, bio-materials, synthetics) are growing.

The “trillions spent” claim ignores reality:

Those investments scaled up solutions that are now changing the make-up of electricity systems the world over.

Without them, fossil fuel prices and pollution would be higher today.

The real issue isn’t the past—it’s the future.

Clean energy is growing fast.

We have the manufacturing capacity to meet 100% of global energy demand.

So the percentage shift looks smaller than the actual transformation.

Bottom line:

Clean Energy has scaled rapidly and are reshaping the energy system—but they’re racing against rising demand and winning

The transition requires cost effective solutions that meet national and economic security. We have that now.