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.
View our dedicated Collections on Hydrogen.
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)
0
million households in the UK (or equivalent) were powered by wind energy in 2024 (RenewableUK)
New Energy World stories
Australia orders 7.8 GW of renewables and 7.9 GWh of storage in latest auction
2nd June 2026
Collectively the projects are expected to supply electricity to around four million households by the end of the decade, with much of the capacity del...
After a year of decline, global clean energy trade rebounded to $479bn in 2025, according to new report
2nd June 2026
Recent geopolitical developments, including the Iran conflict, have contributed to a sharp rise in global fossil fuel prices, disproportionately affec...
UK energy bills to rise despite growing role of renewables in the electricity system
1st June 2026
UK household energy bills are set to increase from July after regulator Ofgem confirmed the energy price cap will increase by 13% amid higher wholesal...
Electrification programmes could solve nations’ over-reliance on fossil fuel imports, but will be limited by grid investments, according to reports
26th May 2026
A new report from BNEF suggests countries could significantly cut their reliance on imported fossil fuels over the coming decades, as rapid advances i...
Planning consent granted for 4 GW of UK offshore wind
26th May 2026
The Dogger Bank installations will be located over 100 km off the north-east coast of England. The development consists of two 1.5 GW projects: Dogger...
Technical guidance publications
EI 3634
SafetyOn Good practice guidance for HV contractors on wind farms
May 2026
The success of high-voltage (HV) operations on wind farms depends on a consistent and proactive approach to managing contractors, contractor safety an...
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...
EI 3617
G+ Managing the risk of moving, installed WTG blades striking a vessel
May 2026
This good practice guideline (GPG) aims to advance, share and encourage good practice for the management of safety risks associated with moving, insta...
EI 3622
G+ Good practice guidelines: Severe weather preparedness
March 2026
Extreme weather events are becoming increasingly common, in regions previously unexposed to such risks. The first edition of these guidelines utilises...
EI 3629
SafetyOn Safe by Design workshop report: Slips, trips and falls
March 2026
The SafetyOn Safe by Design (SbD) workshop report examines innovative approaches to the design and implementation of effective strategies for preventi...