Renewable-Energy Capacity Booming Worldwide

(July 28) -- The year 2009 was "unprecedented" in the history of renewable-energy production, with China adding more capacity than any other country in the world, according to two new reports from the United Nations Environmental Program and the Renewable Energy Network for the 21st Century (REN21).

The U.N. report states that for the second year running, the U.S. and Europe added more energy capacity coming from renewable sources like the sun and wind than from conventional coal, gas or nuclear plants. And as that trend spreads to the developing world, it's likely that this year or next, global investment in renewable energy will outstrip spending on conventional power stations.

"We're almost at a turning point," REN21 Executive Secretary Virginia Sonntag-O'Brien told AOL News. "In 2008 and 2009, the U.S. and Europe were building more new plants for wind, solar and biofuels than for oil, gas and nuclear. You don't need to be a fortune teller to say that even more capacity will be added worldwide."

A man stands between solar panels at a solar plant in Germany

Patrick Pleul, AFP / Getty Images

A worker stands between solar panels at an energy plant in Finowfurt, Germany. Europe and the United States boosted their renewable energy capacity in 2009, but China led the globe.

A big reason is China, which used half as much energy as the U.S. eight years ago but is now the world's most voracious energy consumer. To help meet that demand, China added a world-best 37 gigawatts of renewable-energy capacity in 2009, according to the REN21 report, bringing its national total output to 226 GW. (A gigawatt is one billion watts.)

China led the way with 13.8 GW in wind power additions, which is more than one-third of the world market; in 2004, it accounted for just 2 percent globally. The U.S. was second, adding 10 GW. The share of wind power generation in several countries reached record highs, including 14 percent in Spain and 6.5 percent in Germany. Germany led solar additions with 3.8 GW, more than half of the global market.

As those numbers indicate, renewable-energy sources still meet only a fraction of global energy demand. Of all energy used worldwide, according to REN21, only 3 percent comes from renewable sources. If hydroelectric power is factored in, the number rises to 18 percent.

"The big thing is, we have to attack energy demand," said Sonntag-O'Brien. "But renewable energy, despite the recession, is moving ahead slowly but surely."