Renewable Energy Data Book Now Available
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has released a new renewable energy data book that assesses U.S. energy statistics for 2012, including renewable electricity, worldwide renewable energy development, clean energy investments, and data on specific technologies.
“The 2012 Renewable Energy Data Book is filled with information-packed charts and graphics, which allows users, from analysts to policymakers, to quickly understand and summarize trends in renewable energy -- both on a U.S. and global scale,” said NREL Energy Analyst Rachel Gelman.
According to the data book, renewable electricity represented 14 percent of total installed capacity and more than 12 percent of total electric generation in 2012. Installed renewable electricity capacity is more than 163 gigawatts (GW). The installed global renewable electricity capacity, including hydropower, doubled between 2000 and 2012, and represents a significant and growing portion of the total energy supply both globally and in the U.S.
In 2012, wind energy and solar photovoltaics (PV) were two of the fastest growing electric generation technologies in the U.S. Cumulative installed wind energy capacity increased by nearly 28 percent and cumulative installed solar photovoltaic capacity grew more than 83 percent from the previous year. Renewable electricity accounted for more than 56 percent of all new electrical capacity installations in the U.S.— major increase from 2004 when renewable electricity installations captured only two percent of new capacity additions.