Zeus: Clean energy growth will change our electric systems forever

Solar power is surging faster than governments can handle, heralding the era of the new types of grids and power plants.

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(David Callaway is founder and Editor-in-Chief of Callaway Climate Insights. He is the former president of the World Editors Forum, Editor-in-Chief of USA Today and MarketWatch, and CEO of TheStreet Inc. His climate columns have appeared in USA Today, The Independent, and New Thinking magazine).

SAN FRANCISCO (Callaway Climate Insights) — Good news is scarce in climate circles these days, especially with a Cat. 5 hurricane bearing down on Florida. So when there is good news, we should take note.

The International Energy Agency’s annual renewables report out this morning says clean energy will surpass coal energy next year worldwide and under the right conditions could triple by 2030, growing by 5,500 gigawatts (46 billion light bulbs, by our calculation).