Renewable energy generated between 665 and 673 terawatt-hours of electricity in the EU in 2010. With total energy consumption of between 3,115 and 3,175 terawatt-hours, this means that clean energy supplied about 21% of all the EU electricity used in 2010.
In an effective rebuttal to those who constantly pooh-pooh renewable energy capacity as “just nameplate capacity”, the figures were released in terawatt-hours
Countries like the Ukraine, Poland, Pakistan, and Brazil have not previously been required to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Last month at Durban, that changed. Orders from nations like these boosted year-end wind turbine business at Danish wind giant Vestas.
The company ended 2011 with a total 6.2 GW of orders, and said that late orders coming in will be included in its annual report due early February, which are expected to take the total over 6.5 GW.
The flurry of orders came a month after international climate negotiations in Durban, South Africa, delivered a surprise stipulation that every nation has agreed to, to share binding, international cuts in greenhouse gas emissions within just 8 years.
Here’s some more good news about our renewable energy future. Another nation has reduced greenhouse gas emissions, while not taking an economic hit. Canada’s top 10 industrial greenhouse gas emitters reduced their emissions by 9% in a year, while the economy grew in the meantime by 0.5%.
