The publication is produced by the NREL's Strategic Energy Analysis Center and is an important assessment of U.S. energy statistics for 2012, including renewable electricity, worldwide renewable energy development, clean energy investments, and data on specific technologies.
“The 2012 Renewable Energy Data Book is filled with information-packed charts and graphics, which allows users, from analysts to policymakers, to quickly understand and summarize trends in renewable energy - both on a U.S. and global scale” said NREL Energy Analyst Rachel Gelman.
Key findings in the report include the achievement of 14 percent of total installed capacity from renewable energy sources in 2012, more than 12 percent of total electric generation. Global renewable electricity capacity, including hydropower, doubled between 2000 and 2012 and is now a significant and growing proportion of the total energy supply, both globally and in the US. Wind and solar were two of the fastest growing electric generation technologies in the US with installed wind energy capacity growing by nearly 28 percent while cumulative solar PV capacity grew more than 83 percent from the previous year.
In 2012, renewable electricity accounted for more than 56 percent of all new electrical capacity installations in the US, representing a major increase from 2 percent installation in 2004.
For additional information:
2012 Renewable Energy Data Book
