Renewables Supply 22% of Global Electricity; 144 Countries Have Production Targets
World-wide renewable energy capacity grew 8% in 2013 and now supplies 22% of global electricity, according to the 2014 Renewables Global Status Report, and renewables accounted for 56% of new generation last year. “At least 144 countries now have renewable energy targets in place with 138 having renewable energy support policies, up from the 138 and 127, respectively, in 2012,” Appleyard reports. The world’s top five renewable energy generators are China, the United States, Brazil, Canada, and Germany if hydroelectric capacity is taken into account—or China, the U.S., Germany, Spain, and Italy if hydro is excluded