Clean-energy technologies lose global momentum in 2017: IEA

Very few making tracks toward meeting long-term global climate, energy access, pollution goals

LED lighting usage has been rather illuminating. Electric car sales have powered their way past three million. Solar photovoltaic numbers reflect a deployment boom.

However, those were almost the only bright spots in the 2017 progress of clean-energy technologies, according to the International Energy Agency’s recently updated Tracking Clean Energy Progress website.

Just four of 38 clean-energy technologies and sectors are on track to meet long-term climate, energy access and air pollution goals, based on 2017 data.

“The world doesn’t have an energy problem, but an emissions problem, and this is where we should focus our efforts,” says Dr. Fatih Birol, the IEA’s executive director. “There is a critical need for more vigorous action by governments, industry and other stakeholders to drive advances in energy technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Among the 2017 winners:

• Electric vehicles, with a record 1.1 million sold worldwide;
• LED lighting, which climbed to one-third of total market sales;
• Solar photovoltaic power, which enjoyed a record 34% in power generation; and
• Data centers and networks, which made continued efficiency gains.

  On the other side of the ledger, 2017’s lagging clean technologies included:

• Carbon capture and storage, whose progress in power generation and industry lost momentum;
• Transportation biofuels, like ethanol and biodiesel, which grew by just 2%; and
• Geothermal, concentrating solar and ocean energy generation, with respective cost, deployment and policy issues holding them back.

The IEA’s sustainable development work focuses on tackling climate change, achieving universal access to energy, and substantially reducing the severe health impacts of air pollution.

As part of the Tracking Clean Energy Progress refresh, IEA experts identified 100 innovation gaps across these 38 clean energy technologies that need to be bridged in order to meet its long-term clean energy transition goals.

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