The given pie charts provide a comparative analysis of electricity production by different sources – coal, petroleum, natural gas, nuclear, and hydro – in two different countries (New Zealand and Germany) in two distinct years (1980 and 2010).
Overall, what stands out in the graphs is that the largest amount of electricity generation relied on coal and hydro, while there was a significant shift towards nuclear and petroleum in electricity production in 2010. Notably, a significant increase was observed in the demand for energy generation in both countries over time.
In 1980, New Zealand had a balanced distribution compared to Germany; coal represented a significant share, with 56 units, making it top energy source. Natural gas and hydro had the same contribution to national production, each accounting for 30 units. In contrast, petroleum had a relatively small proportion, at 11 units. By 2010, coal maintained the lead, at 150 units. The share of hydro in electricity production notably increased, rising to 46 units. On the other hand, natural gas and petroleum experienced a substantial decline, each decreasing to only 2 units.
On the other hand, Germany had a more balanced; natural gas and coal were dominant source, each making up 28 units, closely followed by petroleum and nuclear, with 22 units and 20 units, respectively. By 2010, nuclear was by far the most popular source, at 155 units, which comprised nearly 70% of the total generation. Coal remained at the same unit, closely followed by petroleum with 27 units. Meanwhile, natural gas and hydro experienced a sharp decline, each falling to 2 units.