WASHINGTON, D.C., May 20, 2004 - With oil and gas prices soaring amid deepening instability in the Middle East, renewable energy is emerging as a bright spot in the global energy economy -- and is poised for a worldwide takeoff. According to a new study from the Worldwatch Institute, solar power generation has more than tripled globally in the past five years, and wind power generation has nearly quadrupled.
"Political will and the right mix of policies-not vast resource potential-have made wind and solar power the world's fastest growing energy sources over the past decade," says Worldwatch research associate Janet Sawin, author of “Mainstreaming Renewable Energy in the 21st Century.” In Germany, Japan, Spain, and a handful of other countries, clear government commitments to renewable energy have overcome barriers and created the demand for these technologies that has led to dramatic growth, while advancing renewable technologies and driving down their costs.
With a fraction of the U.S. potential in wind power, Germany has more than twice as much installed wind capacity and is a world leader in solar and other renewables as well. And Japan, which has far less sunshine than California, uses and manufactures more solar cells than any other country.
"The experiences of Germany and Japan hint at the great potential for renewables in the United States, which is both geographically large and resource-rich," says Sawin. "The technologies are ready-what we need is strong political leadership to vault renewables into the mainstream."
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