For the first time, renewables are generating more power globally than coal. But in the U.S., analysts see a tough road ahead for wind and solar. With the Trump administration dismantling support for clean energy, renewables are set to grow half as fast as previously expected.
In the first half of this year, renewable energy grew faster than power demand, leading to a small drop in the consumption of coal and natural gas, according to energy think tank Ember. In a first, renewables generated more electricity globally than coal, fulfilling a 2020 prediction by the International Energy Agency, which saw clean energy surpassing coal this year.
In some poorer countries — Nigeria, Zambia, and Pakistan, among others — rising energy costs and frequent blackouts are spurring homeowners to snap up solar panels. Analysts say India is at the beginning of a solar boom.
Looking ahead, the IEA predicts the world will add 4,600 gigawatts of renewable capacity by 2030, or roughly the total capacity of China, Japan, and the EU combined. Some 80 percent of that will be solar.
Globally, renewable capacity will more than double by the end of this decade, a remarkable feat, but less than the tripling of renewable power that countries have pledged to achieve.
Analysts say the outlook for renewables has dimmed slightly as China and, to a greater extent, the U.S. weaken support for clean energy. Analysts project U.S. renewables will grow roughly half as fast as was predicted last year. While investment in clean energy is reaching new highs worldwide, the U.S. is seeing a decline. Between the second half of last year and the first half of this year, spending dropped 36 percent.
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