BBC: Solar and wind beat coal for first time-2

This is Learning English from the News, our podcast about the news headlines. We're talking about the fact that more energy is now being genferated globally by renewable means than by coal. And here's our next headline. 

This one is from Sempra, an American news  website. Renewables overtake coal as world's primary source of electricity. 

That headline again. Renewables overtake coal as world's primary source of electricity. And that's from Semafor, an American news website. 

Now, the headline says that renewables have overtaken, that means the same as surpassed, coal. We're going to learn primary source. 

Yes, the primary source of something is where most of it comes from. When we talk about the primary source of electricity, we mean where the largest amount of it comes from. 

The phrase primary source can be used in many different contexts. So I could say that the primary source of fibre in my diet is fruit. Or you could talk about the world's primary source of gold. You're just saying where the largest amount comes from. 

Now, primary source is quite formal. You'll see it in news reports, but not so much in everyday speech. 

We're had primary source- where the largest amont of something comes from. 

For example, cars are the primary source of pollution in this city. 

This is Learning English from the News, our podcast about the news headlines. Today, we've been talking about how renewable energy has become the world's primary source of electricity. And here's our next headline. 

This if from AP News. Solar and wind power has grown faster than electricity demand this year, report says.

And that headline again from AP News. Solar and wind power has grown faster than electricity demand this year, report says. 

So this headline compares the growth of solar and wind power with the demand for electricity. And the noun demand is what we're going to learn next. 

Yes, so the verb demand is very common and means to ask for something forcefully. But as a noun, we use it to talk about an economic concept. Demand for something is how much of something people actually want. 

Yes, the demand for electricity is how much electricity pople want. Developments in technology can affect this. If more people buy electric cars, there will be more demand for electricity. 

Anf from this noun, we get the phrase in demand. If something is in demand, lots of people want it. For example, around Halloween, pumpkins are in demand. 

We had demand- how much people want something. 

For example, high energy bills have led to demand for more efficient heating systems. 

That's it for this episode of Learning English from the News. We'll be back next week with another news story.