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renewable energy
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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.
The Transition to Renewable Energy Explained by Phil the Fixer
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. United States: 17.1% renewable energy breakdown (2017)
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
At a Glance
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
Geothermal power station
alternative energy summary
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Electric power lines against sunset (grid, power, wires, electrical, electricity)
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Geothermal power station
Geothermal power station A geothermal power station in Iceland that creates electricity from heat generated in Earth's interior.

renewable energy

Also known as: alternative energy
Written by
Noelle Eckley Selin
Associate Professor of Engineering Systems and Atmospheric Chemistry, Engineering Systems Division and Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Noelle Eckley Selin
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
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renewable energy, usable energy derived from sources that are naturally replenished, including the Sun (solar power), wind (wind power), rivers (hydroelectric power), hot springs (geothermal energy), tides (tidal power), and biomass (biofuels). Unlike fossil fuels, including natural gas, coal, and petroleum, which are finite and require millions of years to form, renewable energy sources are continually renewed on human timescales. Because they generally produce lower emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants than fossil fuels,...

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