How the Race for Renewable Energy is Reshaping Global Politics
The world’s transition to clean energy is gathering speed. But will it produce a kind of clean energy realpolitik, with countries vying for advantage, or a more utopian future that reduces conflict?
By Leslie Hook and Henry Sanderson
February 26, 2021
Workers install wind turbines at Yuxia wind farm on mountain on June 15, 2020 in Ji an, Jiangxi Province of China. Credit: Chen Fuping/VCG via Getty Images
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While the world was locked down by coronavirus last year, Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest, chairman of Fortescue Metals Group, was on the move. The billionaire mining magnate and his entourage toured 47 countries over five months, managing to convince some of them to open their borders to the delegation despite the pandemic.
President Joe Biden s plans to re-enter the United States into the Paris Agreement have been welcomed by American clean energy trade associations and others in expectation of an upsurge in clean energy investment and jobs.
The news has been welcomed by the US Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) and the Business Network for Offshore Wind, among others.
SEIA backed the agreement when it was signed in 2016 and continues to support this agreement and other global efforts to combat climate change.
“This is an exciting day for the United States, and we welcome and congratulate President Biden and Vice President Harris” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of SEIA. “Today is also marked with feelings of resolve and a sense of gravity for the work ahead. The climate crisis is a threat to everyone on this planet, and the solar industry stands ready to help America meet its commitments in the Paris Agreement. Many state
Monday, 11 January 2021 The US Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has released a statement in response to the publication, last week, of a story in the New York Times claiming that some of the world s largest solar energy companies, working with the Chinese government, use workers from the Chinese solar industry who have been red-flagged as victims of forced labour. Uyghurs held in detention centre. Courtesy of Valerie Peay/Vimeo.
The New York Times isn t the only publication that has published such claims. Michael Copley authored a similar story published on the SP Global website which went into great detail on this subject and is more accessible, given that the NYT article is covered by a paywall.
US solar panel installations predicted to have risen 43% throughout 2020
A record 19GW of new solar capacity has been installed this year, according to a new report
New solar panel installations in the US are forecast to have increased by 43% throughout 2020.
That’s according to a new report by the US Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the research firm Wood McKenzie, which estimates a record 19GW of new solar capacity has been installed this year.
The findings of the report show the utility-scale market was the primary driver of the installations in the third quarter with 2.7GW of new capacity.
Nichola Groom, Reuters Your browser does not support the audio element.
U.S. solar installations are expected to soar 43% this year, just shy of a pre-pandemic forecast, as the industry has recovered more quickly than expected from a virus-related slowdown, according to a report by the top solar trade group.
The improved outlook reflects robust demand from utilities seeking to meet carbon-reduction goals and a rebound in demand for home solar systems, thanks in part to declining costs for the technology.
The sector is now expected to install more than 19 gigwatts (GW) of solar this year, enough to power more than 3.6 million homes, according to the U.S. Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and energy research firm Wood Mackenzie. Last year it installed 13.3 GW of capacity.