Clean Energy

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy (RE) has long been viewed as the obvious way to reduce carbon intensity. While most countries worldwide recognize that RE will reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, progress and success thus far has been mixed. Global barriers to realizing the potential of RE include technology, affordability, and implicit subsidies for fossil fuel use.

The costs of many RE technologies are declining with new research and greater economies of scale in production. Some RE technologies, such as biomass cogeneration, geothermal, wind, small hydropower, and domestic solar water heating, can already compete with conventional energy at the retail and wholesale levels.