Renewableenergy

Renewable energy is energy sourced from natural processes that are replenished more quickly than they are consumed. The main technologies include solar photovoltaic and solar thermal, wind power, hydropower, geothermal energy, biomass and bioenergy, and ocean energy such as tidal and wave power. Together these sources supply electricity, heating and cooling, and transportation fuels. Unlike fossil fuels, renewables aim to provide sustainable power with substantially lower greenhouse gas emissions over their life cycles. Transmission and distribution systems increasingly incorporate renewable assets, along with storage and flexible generation, to manage variability.

Solar and wind have expanded rapidly due to falling costs, favorable policy frameworks, and growing demand for low-emission energy. Hydropower remains a large, dispatchable contributor in many regions, while geothermal and biomass provide baseload and baseload-like capacity in some settings. Bioenergy can use residues and dedicated crops but may compete with land and water resources. Ocean energy remains at a smaller scale but has potential in coastal areas.

Benefits include reductions in air pollutants and greenhouse gases, improved energy security, and potential job creation. Challenges include intermittency, lower capacity factors for some technologies, the need for storage and grid modernization, land and water impacts, and the environmental and social effects of resource development. Policy support, market design, and continued research are critical to lowering costs, mitigating impacts, and integrating high shares of renewables into energy systems.