The US unseated China as the most attractive country for renewable energy investment in 2012, according to Ernst & Young’s (E&Y) May 2013 “Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index” (RECAI), which, for the 10th year running, “ranks 40 countries on the attractiveness of their renewable energy investment and deployment opportunities based on a number of macro, energy market, and technology-specific indicators.”
E&Y analysts ranked Germany, Australia, and the UK third, fourth, and fifth, respectively. Rounding out the top 10 were sixth-ranked Japan, seventh-ranked Canada, eighth-ranked India, France at #9, and Belgium at #10.
While 2012 was a year of industry and market turmoil and painful consolidation, it also saw renewable energy energy emerge as an economically viable alternative to fossil fuels, gaining credibility and becoming more attractive and accessible in more countries and across broader segments of society.
“Renewable energy has come of age,” writes RECAI chief editor Ben Warren. “Today, it’s a business imperative and personal prerogative; solar panels appear on homes and offices, biomass plants power factories and hospitals, and wind turbines are now a common sight.”
Also: The United States of Energy A cool new map shows the U.S.’s energy production and potential
If you’d like to discuss energy issues, contact Court Rich, Co-Chair of Rose Law Group’s
Renewable Energy Department at crich@roselawgroup.com