U.S. wind power capacity additions 2010-2023

In 2023, U.S. wind power capacity additions reached approximately seven gigawatts, a decrease from the previous year, which registered nine gigawatts. The share of renewable energy sources in the U.S. has seen an increase in the last years. In 2023, renewables accounted for almost 3 percent of the country's electricity generation. 

Energy after recession

When crude oil prices increased during the financial crisis, investors began to consider how to make other sources more cost-effective. Post-Recession investments included clean energy, but also largely focused on developing new methods to extract more fossil fuels such as natural gas. In general, fossil fuel subsidies worldwide have increased for oil and natural gas from 2010 to 2012 and from 2016 to 2018.

International investments in clean energy

U.S. investment in clean energy drastically increased from 2004 to around the time of the financial crisis, and then grew at a slower and more variable rate. In 2022, renewable energy investments registered record values. In 2019, the United States ranked second worldwide in terms of new investment in renewable energy. In that year, China invested much more into renewables than the United States. Other countries, such as Japan, India, and Brazil also had notable clean energy investments.