• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The heiress of $10 billion Perdue Farms and the $12 billion Sheraton Hotels empire wore hand-me-downs, still rides the subway, and flies economy

2

Richard Branson double-booked his own job interview. The candidate stuck in traffic with him for 2.5 hours is now Virgin's CEO

3

Six months into the Iran war, the global economy has pulled off a ‘Mission Impossible’ scene, and the Trump family is among the winners

1

The heiress of $10 billion Perdue Farms and the $12 billion Sheraton Hotels empire wore hand-me-downs, still rides the subway, and flies economy

2

Richard Branson double-booked his own job interview. The candidate stuck in traffic with him for 2.5 hours is now Virgin's CEO

3

Six months into the Iran war, the global economy has pulled off a ‘Mission Impossible’ scene, and the Trump family is among the winners
Renewables

The New Power Added to U.S. Grids in 2015 Was Mostly Renewable

By
Claire Groden
Claire Groden
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Claire Groden
Claire Groden
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 4, 2016, 3:14 PM ET
New Climate Report Names Current Decade As Warmest On Record
BANNING, CA - DECEMBER 8: Emissions-producing diesel trucks and cars pass non-polluting windmills along the 10 freeway on December 8, 2009 near Banning, California. Sustained global warming shows no sign of letting up according to new analysis by the World Meteorological Organization made public at the climate talks in Copenhagen. Although global temperature fluctuates from year to year, overall the decade of the 2000s is likely the warmest decade in the past 150 years covered by the report. This decade is warmer than the 1990s which were warmer than the 1980s, and so on. The conclusion meshes with independent analysis by the National Climatic Data Center and NASA. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)Photograph by David McNew—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

2015 was a big year for clean energy.

Renewable energy accounted for the majority of new power added to the U.S. power grids last year—marking the second year in a row that clean energy surpassed fossil fuels, according to a new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy.

Renewable energy has enjoyed a boost from government incentives and declining systems costs.

Clean energy investments also rose 7.5% from the year before to $56 billion. Ten years earlier, in 2005, renewable investments barely amounted to more than $15 billion. More than half of last year’s amount went toward solar energy projects, while wind attracted $11.6 billion in investments.

Corporate procurement of clean energy contined to grow: It doubled from 2013 to 2014 and again from 2014 to 2015. Major corporate buyers included tech giants Google (GOOG), Amazon (AMZN), Facebook (FB), and Apple(AAPL).

Coal, meanwhile, emerged as the main loser of the year. As a record number of coal plants closed, domestic coal production continued its steady decline since 2008, according to the Energy Information Administration.

About the Author
By Claire Groden
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.