by Brianna Crandall — April 20, 2011—The International Energy Agency (IEA) released its first Clean Energy Progress Report at the Clean Energy Ministerial in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on April 6. The report finds that progress has been made in developing clean energy technologies in recent years, but the surging demands for fossil fuels are outstripping deployment of clean energy technologies, according to a summary from the federal Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The report focuses on global deployment of clean energy technologies and provides recommendations to countries on future action and spending.
According to the IEA, coal has met 47 percent of the world’s new electricity demand over the past decade, eclipsing clean energy efforts made over the same period of time, which include improved implementation of energy efficiency measures and rapid growth in the use of renewable energy sources. IEA argues that more aggressive clean energy policies are required, including the removal of fossil fuel subsidies and the implementation of transparent, predictable and adaptive incentives for cleaner energy options.
The Clean Energy Progress Report provides an overview of key policy developments and public spending on research, development, demonstration, and deployment of clean energy technologies. Among those technologies, the report mentions renewable energy, energy efficiency, and electric vehicles (EVs). The report also urges governments to do more to assist the introduction of EVs and plug-in hybrid vehicles, which are emerging as an area of intensive activity. It spotlights solar and wind power as two areas of strong development.
