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.
View our dedicated Collection on the A-Z of the Energy Transition.
For the latest news and articles on renewable energy, read New Energy World.
0.0GW
total global installed capacity of solar in 2024, compared to 1,135 GW of wind (Statistical Review of World Energy)
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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
More than 8,000 European renewables sites found vulnerable to cyberattack
13th October 2026
Thousands of systems used to monitor and control European wind and solar sites are unnecessarily connected to the internet, making renewable energy in...
New predictions about the global energy system towards 2050
13th October 2026
DNV’s 2026 Energy transition outlook report, its 10th, divides the world between the energy importers and the energy exporters, and finds that it is t...
Low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia projects advance across Europe
13th October 2026
The UK Ammonia Alliance (UKAA) has published a roadmap setting out how the UK could develop a low-carbon ammonia sector, including restarting domestic...
Global operational floating wind capacity increases 38% in 12 months
13th October 2026
Floating offshore wind has already set a new annual deployment record for 2026, with 109MW fully operational so far this year, according to energy tra...
Mine water heat network goes live at Seaham Garden Village
13th October 2026
The new energy centre is supplying heat to around 750 homes using mine water from the Mining Remediation Authority’s Dawdon water treatment scheme. He...
Technical guidance publications
EI 3604
Embedding circularity across the life cycle of assets
July 2026
EI 3604 Embedding circularity across the lifecycle of assets helps companies integrate circular economy principles into every stage of an asset’s life...
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 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 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 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...