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86 Percent of New Power in Europe From Renewable Sources in 2016 (theguardian.com)

Posted by msmash on from the big-push dept.

Renewable energy sources made up nearly nine-tenths of new power added to Europe's electricity grids last year, in a sign of the continent's rapid shift away from fossil fuels. From a report on The Guardian: But industry leaders said they were worried about the lack of political support beyond 2020, when binding EU renewable energy targets end. Of the 24.5GW of new capacity built across the EU in 2016, 21.1GW -- or 86% -- was from wind, solar, biomass and hydro, eclipsing the previous high-water mark of 79% in 2014. For the first time windfarms accounted for more than half of the capacity installed, the data from trade body WindEurope showed. Wind power overtook coal to become the EU's second largest form of power capacity after gas, though due to the technology's intermittent nature, coal still meets more of the blocâ(TM)s electricity demand.

3 of 194 comments (clear)

  1. Only 86%? I would have expected it to be 100%+ by Wycliffe · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I checked and the USA was even lower at only 61.5% of new capacity being renewable. I was surprised there was any non-renewable being built new. If we truly started "phasing out" non-renewables then you would expect new capacity to be 100% renewable or even above 100% (if existing non-renewable plants were being shut down). I didn't realize we were still building *any* new coal/gas plants. I knew the existing ones were still being used but surprised that they were still building new ones. I'm surprised with as much renewable that is being built that our energy usage is going up fast enough to need that much new energy.

  2. Re: Clearly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It would be nice for a change....

    For a change? The US relied on overseas development for steam engines, internal combustion engines, rocketry, Canal-building and more.

    Hell, the US still hasn't caught up on the metric system. Let alone a workable political system.

    No wonder you're behind.

  3. Re:Clearly by beckett · · Score: 3, Interesting
    it's already happened. China, Germany and Japan already have more solar generation capacity than USA. China, Canada, Brazil have more hydroelectric installed capacity and production than USA. China also has surpassed USA for installed wind generation capacity.

    with regards to the actual R&D, German companies can take credit for industry standard wind turbine, PV, and inverter technology.

    It would be nice for a change....

    Let us know when you are willing to make a change.