A future in which we generate 100% of our energy from clean, renewable sources is not nearly as far away as many people believe. In fact, seven countries around the world are already doing it, according to data from the International Energy Agency and International Renewable Energy Agency, the Independent reported.
The seven countries — Albania, Bhutan, Nepal, Paraguay, Iceland, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo — each produce more than 99.7% of their electricity using geothermal, hydro, solar, or wind power, the data showed.
In addition, many other countries are moving in the right direction. The data showed that 40 more countries are deriving more than 50% of their power from clean energy.
The data shows that the technology needed to move beyond dirty energy sources like gas and oil — which cause massive amounts of air pollution and are largely responsible for the overheating of our planet — already exists. All we need to do is implement it.
"We don't need miracle technologies," said Stanford University Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Mark Jacobson, who compiled and published the data. "We need to stop emissions by electrifying everything and providing the electricity with Wind, Water and Solar (WWS), which includes onshore wind, solar photovoltaics, concentrated solar power, geothermal electricity, small hydroelectricity, and large hydroelectricity."
Unfortunately, the United States did not even come close to cracking the list of countries with the highest percentage of renewable energy, coming in at only 20.75%. However, the U.S. is continuing to add renewable energy capacity, mainly in the form of solar and wind.
Solar is currently the dominant form of clean energy around the world, with the technology only getting more efficient and reliable. But, according to a recent report from the Global Wind Energy Council, offshore wind will also play a big part in meeting future climate goals.
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