Solar and wind power represent a US$1 trillion investment opportunity in Asia Pacific this decade, equivalent to two-thirds of the region’s power generation sector, as countries move away from fossil fuel generation in favour of greener alternatives.
New projections mark major pivot for the agency, which for years had predicted that natural gas would remain the US' dominant source of electricity over the decades to come.
Even if president-elect Trump follows through with his threats to dismantle the Clean Power Plan, renewable energy will still be on the rise regardless, according to a new report by the US Energy Information Administration.
Whilst the US is destined for a tectonic shift in its energy landscape under either prospective president, new analysis from Lux Research suggests that Trump’s policies would leave emissions 16% higher after two terms than Clinton’s.
Donald Trump once again shunned solar and other renewables in favour for coal in his characteristic “America first” energy policy, while Hillary Clinton did not fare much better, but did at least reaffirm her commitment to fight climate change, albeit as an afterthought.
Construction has begun on Aurora, a distributed solar project in Minnesota which in 2014 was ruled by a judge to be a better, more cost-effective investment decision than natural gas.