Post by coolplanet on Jun 26, 2013 14:34:46 GMT -5
Global Renewable Energy on Track to Soon Eclipse Natural Gas, Nuclear
A new report predicts that renewable power energy generation will exceed that of gas and nuclear by 2016.
Hydroelectric reservoirs like this one in New Zealand provide sustainable power generation.
Photograph by Bill Hatcher, National Geographic
Ker Than
for National Geographic
Published June 26, 2013
news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/13/130626-iea-international-energy-agency-renewable-energy-natural-gas-power-environment-science/
The future appears to be bright for renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and water.
In fact, power generation from such renewables will exceed that of gas and nuclear by 2016, according to a report published Wednesday by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
"As their costs continue to fall, renewable power sources are increasingly standing on their own merits versus new fossil-fuel generation," IEA executive director Maria van der Hoeven said in a statement.
The report's publication comes on the heels of a speech Tuesday by U.S. President Barack Obama in which he unveiled a plan to combat climate change by limiting greenhouse gas emissions from fossil-fueled power plants and increasing federal reliance on renewable energy sources.
"I'm setting a new goal," Obama said. "Your federal government will consume 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources within the next seven years."
Full story at link