The Climate Strike Inspires. So Do These 5 Signs of Clean Energy Progress

The week that begins with theClimate Strikethis Friday, September 20, is going to be loaded with heavy, serious messages rooted in the science that tells us, in no uncertain terms, thatthings aren’t moving in the right directionon climate change, in so many ways.

As youstand with the brave student strikers, or are a brave student striker yourself, or as you attend some of themany events happening during Climate Week, you’ll find yourself surrounded by portrayals of the harm that our heat-trapping ways are already bringing upon so many.

It’s also true, though, thatsomethingsaremoving in the right direction—including in the power sector. Clean energy progress certainly doesn’t take away from the urgency of the climate crisis, or our need to really get our act together on addressing it. But getting inspired and inspiring others to act becomes that much easier when we get the seriousness of climate changeandunderstand theseriousness of the climate solutionswe’re already rolling out.

So here, to keep in mind and share as you rise up for climate action, are5 images of progress—of technological clean energy momentum—to help you balance an overwhelming sense of the need to act with an overwhelming sense of thepossibilityof acting. Because addressing climate change isn’t easy, but the tools are definitely there.

Image 1: Solar’s growth

Solar power’s growth in the US over the last decade has been a sight to behold, and graphs like the one below should feel empowering. Rooftop solar alone now graces some2 million US buildings.And we’ve added enough solar panels on rooftops, in large arrays in deserts, and everywhere in between ineachof the last few years to generate zero-carbon electricity equivalent to 1-1.5 million typical households’ demand.

Image 2: Wind power’s growth

Wind power has been another marvel to behold. With the growth to some 100,000 megawatts of turbines, we now have enough wind turbines to meet the electricity needs of some30 million US households. (And wait tilloffshore wind进入图片。)

Image 3: Wind and solar’s contribution

The growth in our installation of solar panels and wind turbines has meant having anever-increasing shareof our overall electricity demand being met by those technologies. On an annual basis, we’ve upped the electricity contribution from solar and windfrom 1 in every 71 kilowatt-hours in 2008 to 1 in every 11 in 2018.

Image 4: Coal’s decline

一个受欢迎的推论to the growth of renewables is thedrop in coal generation, and even, in some places, the advent within a region of days withzerocoal generation. That change isn’t all due to clean energy—acertain other fossil fuel已经走进了breach—but renewables, and energy efficiency, have been increasingly important pieces of that progress. And the bevy of commitments to zero-carbon energy, including at thestate level, is upping the pressure for non-emitting electricity options, and against fossil ones.

Image 5: Energy storage’s growth

Energy storage systems (batteries and the like) are akey toolfor modernizing our grid, improving our resilience to natural disasters, incorporating higher and higher levels of variable renewables like wind and solar, andimproving equity. And that’s been another area of noteworthy growth.

The tools are there

I’m incredibly grateful for the leadership and passion that will be on full display over the coming days, and for the youth who havestepped out in frontbecause of the lack of leadership from generations like mine. The climate crisis is real, and serious, and frightening, and we are indeedat a crossroadson climate action. That’s incredibly important for us to understand.

We should know too, though, that when we make the right decision at the crossroads—when we finally turn toward a path of sanity and safety—there’ll be awhole host of toolsat our disposal, waiting for us on that new path.

So after all of us together power through the Climate Strike and Climate Week, we adults owe it to our youth, and to ourselves, to make sure that the images and indications of progress, on energy and across our society, grow to be much more a part of the story than the images of climate impacts. And we all owe it to the future to make this progress an ever-bigger reality.