The planet’s survival is an issue over which, by definition, all interests converge. Finally, after wasting precious decades and, with some exceptions, renewable energies seem to be managing to get politicians, businesses and citizens to unite and fight for a common cause.
According to numerous recent reports and articles, CO2 emission control initiatives are finally yielding results and helping keep levels stable despite economic growth and dwindling oil prices.
This key drivers behind this trend are the investments that are being pledged by countries such as China ($83 billion invested in 2014, compared to $62.6 billion the previous year) and the United States (38.3 billion in 2014 vs. $36 billion in 2013).
Also the BRICS (an acronym that stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), are playing a key role in the development of renewables. This group of countries is investing in the development of wind farms, solar parks and biofuel plants production capacity of over 1 million liters, according to the Renewable Energy Report 2016 published by REN21, the most quoted source in the field of renewable energies.
In 2014, renewable energies accounted for 58.5% of growth in the world’s installed power capacity. Wind, solar and hydraulic energy have led a market that already accounts for 27.7% of the world’s energy generation, according to the aforementioned report. On the other hand, segments that still require more efforts, due to their environmental impact are climate control and transport.
The renewable energy sector is in the midst of a vibrant stage that condensates all the ingredients of a race that, with exceptions such as Spain in 2015, is growing and gaining traction in all its modalities. But maybe more than about a race, we should be talking about an Olympiad, based on the broad range of fields involved and its universal nature.
But many economic, geographic, political, environmental, business and, also, ideological interests overlap. Thus, things about which ecologists may get more excited, discourage investors; what in Spain is banned is subsidized in the US, and yesterday’s utopia is today’s priority.
"There was less wind and less rainfall than in 2014, but, last year, renewable energy sources – wind, water, sun, biomass – were one of the main sources of electricity in Spain. Up to 36.9% of the total amount of kilowatts used in the country came from clean energy sources. Lagging far behind in second place, nuclear energy generated (besides certain waste that will take thousands of years to decay), 21.8% of the electricity”, according to the Spanish Electricity System 2015 Report.
This quote makes reference to the same year 2015 that is widely regarded, by almost all analysts, as the worst for the development of renewable energies in Spain. It may be a matter of points of view, but hardly any sources endorsed the latest Renewable Energy Law passed in June 2015.
The fact is that the drop in renewable energy consumption in 2015 was a result of combination of factors, including four years of investor hiatus, the entry into force of the Renewable Energy Law, and cutbacks affecting the solar industry.
The anonymousness with which the business leaders of the industry rejected the latest batch of measures and the resulting dramatic drop in investments, paints a grim landscape in Spain which, in the meantime, will be facing over 20 arbitration processes in the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce and Uncitral.
According to by Greenpeace, the breach of emission reduction targets will cost Spain an estimated €100 million in fines, besides several hundred million more in purchases of carbon emission rights.
China and the United States, leading the way
The collapse of investments in Spain justifies a pessimism that is in stark contrast with other countries' booming activity.
In regions such as the United States, China or Latin America, investments and subsidies, technologies and collective awareness are beginning to generate a feeling among society that conventional sources of energy, such as fossil and oil, can be replaced before they are exhausted.
Indeed, the status of renewable energies shifts radically depending on the region, country, point in time or information source we look at. Technological development, political context and business needs and opportunities are prone to constant and sharp fluctuations, and as interests differ and are, often, opposed, situation assessments can change dramatically depending on their focus.
Almost 148 new gigawatts from clean sources, the equivalent of Africa’s entire generating capacity, were commissioned. In economic terms, investments stood at $286 billion (a bit over €250 billion), with China and the United States as the main drivers of the world’s renewable market, according also to REN21.
According to this report, activity in the United States has also had its share of ups and downs, with wind power investments dropping sharply in 2014 due to climate instability. In the US, were each state is allowed to pass their own laws, this flexibility allows adapting laws to each region’s reality.
In short, it can be said that there is a consensus regarding the need to progressively stop using finite and polluting sources and turn to clean sources. It is also evident that increasingly cheaper technologies will bolster their development and encourage investment. But the unstoppable growth of power consumption at a global scale, demands not overlooking this transition toward cleans energies.
Kuokoka kwa sayari ni suala ambalo, kwa ufafanuzi, maslahi yote yanakutana. Mwishowe, baada ya kupoteza miongo ya thamani na, kwa baadhi ya ubaguzi, nishati mbadala inaonekana kufanikiwa kupata wanasiasa, wafanyabiashara na wananchi kuungana na kupigana kwa sababu ya kawaida. Kulingana na ripoti nyingi za hivi karibuni, mipango ya kudhibiti uzalishaji wa CO2 hatimaye inatoa matokeo na kusaidia kuweka viwango vya kudumu licha ya ukuaji wa kiuchumi na bei ya mafuta inayopungua. Mfano wa hii ni China, ambayo ilitoa dola bilioni 83 mwaka 2014 ikilinganishwa na dola bilioni 62.6 mwaka uliopita, na Marekani, ambayo ilitoa dola bilioni 38.3 mwaka 2013 ikilinganishwa na dola bilioni 36. BRICS (Brazil, Urusi, India, China na Afrika Kusini) ni nchi za kimataifa zinazohusika katika maendeleo ya nishati mbadala. "Kundi hili la nchi linawekeza katika maendeleo ya mashamba ya upepo, mbuga za jua na mitambo ya biofuel yenye uwezo wa uzalishaji wa lita zaidi ya milioni 1, kulingana na Ripoti ya Nishati Mbadala ya 2016 iliyochapishwa na REN 21 (Renewable Energy Report 2016), chanzo cha ""kutajwa zaidi katika uwanja wa nishati mbadala.""" Katika 2014, nishati mbadala ilichangia asilimia 58.5 ya ukuaji wa uwezo wa umeme uliowekwa ulimwenguni. Nishati ya upepo, jua na maji ni sehemu ya jumla ya nishati ya ulimwengu, ambayo inashughulikia asilimia 27.7 ya uzalishaji wa nishati duniani. Kwa upande mwingine, sehemu ambazo bado zinahitaji juhudi zaidi, kwa sababu ya athari zao za mazingira ni udhibiti wa hali ya hewa na usafiri. Sekta ya nishati mbadala iko katikati ya hatua yenye nguvu ambayo huunganisha viungo vyote vya mbio ambazo, isipokuwa kama vile Uhispania mnamo 2015, zinaongezeka na kupata traction katika hali zake zote. Lakini labda zaidi ya juu ya mbio, tunapaswa kuzungumza juu ya Olimpiki, kulingana na aina pana ya nyanja zinazohusika na asili yake ya ulimwengu. Lakini maslahi mengi ya kiuchumi, kijiografia, kisiasa, ya mazingira, ya kibiashara na pia ya kiitikadi huingiliana. Kwa hivyo, mambo ambayo wanahistoria wanaweza kufurahishwa zaidi, huwazuia wawekezaji; kile kilicho marufuku nchini Uhispania hufadhiliwa nchini Marekani, na utopia wa jana ni kipaumbele cha leo. "Kulikuwa na upepo mdogo na mvua kidogo kuliko mwaka 2014, lakini, mwaka jana, vyanzo vya nishati mbadala - upepo, maji, jua, biomass - vilikuwa moja ya vyanzo kuu vya umeme nchini Uhispania. """ Zaidi ya asilimia 36.9 ya kilowati iliyotumiwa nchini humo ilitokana na nishati safi. Nishati ya nyuklia, ambayo ni ya pili kwa ukubwa katika orodha ya nishati ya umeme, inazalisha asilimia 21.8 ya umeme, kulingana na ripoti ya mfumo wa umeme wa Uhispania ya 2015. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""2015 ni mwaka mbaya zaidi kwa maendeleo ya nishati mbadala nchini Uhispania.""" "Hii ni suala la maoni, lakini hakuna chanzo kilichokubali Sheria ya Nishati Mbadala iliyopitishwa Juni 2015.""" Kwa kweli, kupungua kwa matumizi ya nishati mbadala mnamo 2015 ilikuwa matokeo ya mchanganyiko wa sababu, pamoja na miaka minne ya kutokuwa na wawekezaji, kuanza kutumika kwa Sheria ya Nishati Mbadala, na kupunguzwa kwa sekta ya jua. "Ukosefu wa utambulisho ambao viongozi wa biashara wa tasnia walikataa hatua za hivi karibuni na kupungua kwa uwekezaji, unaonyesha mandhari mbaya nchini Uhispania ambayo, wakati huo huo, itakabiliwa na kesi zaidi ya 20 za upatanishi katika Kituo cha Kimataifa cha Usimamizi wa Mizozo ya Uwekezaji (ICSID), Chama cha Biashara cha Stockholm na Unicorn.""" Kwa mujibu wa Greenpeace, ukiukaji wa malengo ya kupunguza uzalishaji wa kaboni utagharimu Hispania karibu € 100 milioni katika faini, pamoja na mamia ya milioni zaidi katika ununuzi wa haki za uzalishaji wa kaboni. Uchina na Marekani zinaongoza kwa njia ya kuanguka kwa uwekezaji nchini Hispania inahakikishia kutokuwa na matumaini ambayo ni tofauti kabisa na shughuli za nchi nyingine zinazositawi. Katika maeneo kama vile Marekani, China au Amerika ya Kusini, uwekezaji na ruzuku, teknolojia na ufahamu wa pamoja unaanza kuzalisha hisia katika jamii kwamba vyanzo vya kawaida vya nishati, kama vile mafuta na mafuta, vinaweza kubadilishwa kabla ya kutoweka. Kwa kweli, hali ya nishati mbadala hubadilika kabisa kulingana na mkoa, nchi, wakati au chanzo cha habari tunachotazama. Maendeleo ya kiteknolojia, mazingira ya kisiasa na mahitaji ya biashara na fursa ni prone kwa kubadilika mara kwa mara na kwa kasi, na kama maslahi tofauti na ni, mara nyingi, kinyume, hali tathmini inaweza kubadilika sana kulingana na lengo lao. Kwa mujibu wa ripoti hiyo, karibu gigawatt 148 mpya kutoka vyanzo safi, sawa na uwezo wote wa kuzalisha wa Afrika, zilianzishwa. Kwa upande wa uchumi, uwekezaji ulifikia $ 286 bilioni (zaidi ya € 250 bilioni), na China na Marekani kama madereva kuu ya soko la ulimwengu la nishati mbadala, kulingana na REN 21. Kulingana na ripoti hiyo, shughuli nchini Marekani pia imekuwa na sehemu yake ya ups na downs, na uwekezaji katika nishati ya upepo kushuka kwa kasi katika 2014 kutokana na hali ya hewa ya kutokuwa na utulivu. Katika Marekani, kila jimbo linaruhusiwa kupitisha sheria zake mwenyewe, kubadilika hii inaruhusu kurekebisha sheria kwa kila eneo halisi. Kwa kifupi, inaweza kusemwa kuwa kuna makubaliano kuhusu haja ya hatua kwa hatua kuacha kutumia vyanzo vya mwisho na cha uchafuzi na kugeuka kwa vyanzo safi. Pia ni dhahiri kwamba teknolojia zinazozidi kuwa za bei nafuu zitaimarisha maendeleo yao na kuhamasisha uwekezaji. Lakini ukuaji usioweza kukomeshwa wa matumizi ya nishati kwa kiwango cha kimataifa, inahitaji kutopuuza mabadiliko haya kuelekea nishati safi.