Growth of US Renewable Energy (NREL's Energy Data Book)

Renewable energy continues to show strong growth in the US. Led by solar power, new renewable electricity accounted for over 61 percent of total new US generation capacity in 2013. This represents almost 15 percent of total installed capacity and 13 percent of total US electricity generation. Renewables’ 61 percent share of new capacity in 2013 compares favorably to preceding years. In 2004 this number was only 4 percent and in 2008 it was 57 percent.

In 2013, US energy consumption rose 2.4 percent year-over-year in 2013 to total 97.3 quadrillion Btus. Consumption of renewable energy and coal-fired power plants rose slightly during the year while energy consumption from oil and natural gas fell slightly.

The installed renewable energy capacity has more than doubled between 2000 and 2013 and it now represents 27 percent of the total electricity generation capacity globally.

For more information click here to see the Energy Data Book released on January 20th by the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).