renewable energy: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Nov. 2, 2026

News •

Red Frog Beach Advances Major Infrastructure and Sustainability Improvements • Oct. 28, 2026, 4:37 PM ET (Des Moines Register)

Facts

Also Known As	alternative energy

Photos and Videos

Geothermal power station

A panoramic countryside landscape is divided into sections illustrating different energy sources: wind with turbines and a windmill, water with a hydroelectric dam and watermill, sunlight with solar panels on a house and solar cells, food with animals pulling wagons and grazing, oil, coal, and natural gas with a red car, a furnace, and a jet plane, and uranium with a nuclear power plant in the distance. A river runs through the scene, and a sailboat is on the water.

Concentrated solar-power plant

World map color-coded to show photovoltaic solar power potential, with higher potential indicated by warmer colors such as orange and red, and lower potential by cooler colors such as green and blue. Regions with the highest solar energy potential include parts of western North America, northern and southern Africa, the Middle East, Australia, and parts of South America, while areas with lower potential are found in northern Europe, Russia, and parts of Canada. The map includes a scale for daily

Labeled diagram of a wind turbine showing its main components, including blades attached to a rotor, nacelle housing gears and generator, controller, yaw drive and motor, power cable, and tower, with an anemometer on top.

The Transition to Renewable Energy Explained by Phil the Fixer

View to learn about renewable energy, its types, and also how the coronavirus pandemic has changed energy consumption and production patterns

Harnessing wave power: The Pelamis generator

See All Videos, Images and Interactives →

Topics

biofuel geothermal energy wind power solar energy hydroelectric power solar power biogas tidal power waterpower Alternative energy radiation combustion Carbon sequestration steam power free energy electric power conservation of energy potential energy nuclear energy laws of thermodynamics

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

history of technology: Alternatives to fossil fuels

Key People

T. Boone Pickens

T. Boone Pickens

American businessman

default image

Daniel G. Nocera

American inorganic chemist

Electric power lines against sunset (grid, power, wires, electrical, electricity)

Energy & Fossil Fuels

Combination shot of Grinnell Glacier taken from the summit of Mount Gould, Glacier National Park, Montana in the years 1938, 1981, 1998 and 2006.

Pop Quiz: 18 Things to Know About Global Warming