The pie charts present the number of units of electricity produced in New Zealand and Germany around 1980 and 2010. Overall, coal was mostly used in New Zealand over the years. However, the units of petroleum generated the least electricity at the end of the periods. Whereas, in Germany, natural gas and coal were the most utilized at the beginning of the periods, and hydro was the least used. In the last year, nuclear had become the primary generator, and only small amounts of natural gas and hydro produced power.
In 1980, as the vital source, 56 units of petroleum were used for electricity generation in New Zealand, whereas Germany had 28 generators each of natural gas and petroleum. Meanwhile, natural gas and hydro had an identical number of 30 units, producing power in New Zealand. Petroleum was more utilized in Germany, totalling 22 units and twice that of New Zealand. Nuclear power was only generated by Germany, with 20 units available.
In 2010, petroleum had about threefold the number of generators, reaching 150 sources in New Zealand. Hydro followed, increasing by 46 units; otherwise, a decline occurred in natural gas and petroleum, to only 2 units. Meanwhile, 155 nuclear sources were the most used, alongside 59 biofuel sources such as 28 units of coal, 27 units of petroleum, and 4 units each of hydro and natural gas in Germany.