"Solar Energy Boom Sets New Records, Shattering Expectations"

"Overall, clean energy sources accounted for two-thirds of new electricity capacity worldwide in 2016, a new report says. "

"Driven largely by a boom in solar power, renewable energy expansion has hit record-breaking totals across the globe and is shattering expectations, especially in the United States, where projections were pessimistic just a decade ago.

In 2016, almost two-thirds of new power capacity came from renewables, bypassing net coal generation growth globally for the first time. Most of the expansion came from a 50 percent growth in solar, much of it in China.

In the U.S., solar power capacity doubled compared to 2015—itself a record-breaking year—with the country adding 14.5 gigawatts of solar power, far outpacing government projections. In the first half of 2017, wind and solar accounted for 10 percent of monthly electricity generation for the first time."

Georgina Gustin reports for InsideClimate News Oct 4, 2017.