This is all happening at a time when other renewables aren’t standing still. Wind power saw an additional 160 GW of capacity installed and hydro another 18 GW. The rest, meaning things like geothermal and biofuels, grew by a bit under four gigawatts.
Totaling it all up means that renewable capacity grew by roughly 700 GW last year, an increase of 16 percent. That number represents 86 percent of the overall growth in global generating capacity.
“In the midst of uncertain time, renewable energy remains consistent and steadfast in its expansion,” said Francesco La Camera in a statement that referenced the current fossil fuel price shocks. “This not only indicates market preference but also makes a strong case for renewable energy resilience with brutal clarity… Countries that invested in the energy transition are weathering this crisis with less economic damage, as they boost energy security, resilience and competitiveness.”
Overall, renewable generating capacity is now a bit over 5.1 terawatts. Over half of that (2.9 TW) is in Asia, driven by the massive expansion of wind and solar in China. Regionally, Europe is in second place, with a bit under a terawatt of capacity installed.
The data these numbers are based on is available if you want to check things out for yourself.