Renewables now make up 32% of global electricity generation
Renewable energy, sourced from replenishable natural resources like sunlight, wind, and geothermal heat, is pivotal in electricity generation, heating, cooling, and transportation. It offers off-grid solutions for remote areas, produces minimal greenhouse gases, and enhances energy security due to its wide geographical distribution. As global efforts to mitigate climate change intensify, the shift to low-carbon energy, led by renewables, is accelerating. Technologies such as solar PV and wind are becoming cost-competitive with fossil fuels. Increasing the renewable share in energy systems involves electrifying heating and transport sectors, using biofuels, and deploying solar water heating, biomass burners, and geothermal heating. Achieving climate goals requires rapid renewable energy deployment across all sectors, supported by favourable policies and market conditions.
For the latest news and articles on renewable energy, read New Energy World.
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0.0GW
total global installed capacity of solar in 2024, compared to 1,135 GW of wind (Statistical Review of World Energy)
0
was the first year that solar electricity generation surpassed coal in the European Union (Statistical Review of World Energy)
0%
share of total global generation from wind and solar in 2024 (Statistical Review of World Energy)
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million households in the UK (or equivalent) were powered by wind energy in 2024 (RenewableUK)
New Energy World stories
Ofgem shortlist marks milestone for long-duration electricity storage
7th July 2026
The shortlist includes projects with a combined capacity of 7.6GW across four technologies: pumped storage hydro, compressed air energy storage, lithi...
Power-to-X enters a new operational phase
7th July 2026
As one of Denmark’s earliest operational facilities begins hydrogen production, Germany’s ERA ONE plant has become the first Power-to-Liquid facility ...
Solar generation eases European gas price spike despite flexibility challenges
7th July 2026
To explain this contrast, the industry association published figures in July 2026, based on data from its automated Electricity Data Assistant (ELDA) ...
Record 3.65GW wind project goes live in US with long-distance transmission link
30th June 2026
The SunZia development is one of the largest renewable energy projects in the US to date, combining utility-scale wind generation with dedicated long-...
European grid operators and developers prepare for battery storage at scale
30th June 2026
The company plans to introduce the standard for flexible battery storage connections across all of its German network operators by the end of 2026. Un...
Technical guidance publications
EI 3637
SafetyOn 2025 Onshore wind health and safety incident data report
June 2026
EI 3637 SafetyOn 2025 Onshore wind health and safety incident data report presents the analysis of health and safety incident data submitted by Safety...
EI 3640
G+ 2025 incident data report
June 2026
The G+ 2025 incident data report examines the patterns behind health and safety performance of offshore wind projects among G+ members.This year saw c...
EI 3635
G+ Welfare in offshore wind study: existing practices and future opportunities
June 2026
EI 3635 Welfare in offshore wind study: existing practices and future opportunities assesses current welfare practices, identifies gaps and explores o...
EI 3642
G+ Vessel management in offshore wind for new entrants and non-marine professionals
June 2026
EI 3642 G+ Vessel management in offshore wind for new entrants and non-marine professionals provides an accessible, non-technical overview of vessel m...
EI 3328
Guidance on the preservation and recommissioning of existing combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant
May 2026
First-generation combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plants, introduced in the early 1990s, have increasingly been displaced by higher-efficiency plants...