Renewables at 20-year high in 2020
Developers in US, China and Vietnam rush to get projects connected in fourth quarter
More renewable capacity came online in 2020 than in any other year since 1999 as firms in the US, China and Vietnam rushed to get projects connected in order to benefit from expiring subsidy regimes. Capacity additions rose 45pc to reach 280GW last year, with developers connecting almost 150 GW of new renewable capacity in Q4–more than double the number for the fourth quarter of 2019 and more than the amount installed in the first three-quarters of 2020. The end-of-year rush illustrated the ability of supply chains to meet huge surges in demand, according to the IEA’s Renewable Energy Market Update. “Wind and solar power are giving us more reasons to be optimistic about our climate goals as
Also in this section
19 December 2024
The utility-scale battery energy storage system market is evolving rapidly, with diverse offtake models emerging to offer bespoke, flexible contracting solutions
13 December 2024
Prices in world’s largest compliance market have risen this year but remain below those seen in the EU
11 December 2024
Policymakers need to step up with a long-term, global strategy if the energy transition is ever to be a success
11 December 2024
CCUS and other carbon management technologies are gaining traction around the world, but heightened policy risk and other pressures will make 2025 a challenging year in some regions