The current administration in the United States is adversarial towards renewable energy and highly supportive of the use of fossil fuels. Unquestionably, this will create rough waters for the clean energy industry and, unfortunately, will throw a monkey wrench into the world’s efforts to mitigate climate change. But it cannot stop what has become a powerful global trend.
In the words of U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres: “Renewable energy is powering down the fossil fuel age.”
According to a new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency, renewables accounted for 92% of new power capacity worldwide last year. Solar is by far the fastest-growing form of renewable power, accounting for 77% of new capacity.
In the U.S., renewables accounted for about 90% of new installed capacity in 2024. The country added nearly 40 GW of solar power capacity as well as 5 GW of wind power. Renewables now make up about 30% of the country’s large-scale power generating capacity. Adding in all carbon-free electricity sources (which include nuclear power), nearly 44% of the country’s electricity was carbon-free.
Headwinds against the growth of renewable energy are getting stronger in the US, but the global trend driven by both economics and environmental concerns is powerful and will continue. For one thing, in much of the world, solar power is simply the cheapest way to produce electricity and that is pretty difficult to ignore. Global trade wars and economic turmoil will impact renewable energy much as they will other industries, but the long-term trend is clear.
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Renewables Made Up More Than 90 Percent of New Power Installed Globally Last Year
Photo, posted November 23, 2022, courtesy of John Morton via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio
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