Chart of the Week: We’re Using More Clean Energy than Ever Before

Rising temperatures, extreme weather, public health threats -- there’s no question that climate change is one of the greatest threats to our security, our planet, and our future. So what can we do about it?  

Here’s one decisive step to take: Power up with clean energy.

Investing in renewable energy sources like wind and solar gives us two advantages: It reduces our carbon footprint and, as a burgeoning global industry, will spark our economic growth. Consider this: According to industry analyses, employment in the solar industry has grown more than 85 percent since 2010, while the price of a rooftop solar system has dropped more than 50 percent.

When President Obama took office, he made it point to take the first concrete steps down this path. And that’s why, today, we produce more wind and solar energy than ever, while our economy is creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1998.  

What’s that look like? 

Take a look at this chart to see how we’ve tripled our wind power and generated 20 times more solar electricity than when the President took office in 2009:

There are more steps we can and will take in our fight against climate change. Today, the White House is hosting a Clean Energy Investment Summit, bringing together major foundations and investors who are committing $4 billion toward powering innovative technologies with breakthrough potential to create jobs and reduce carbon pollution.

These commitments and others from today will now far exceed – actually double – the Administration’s initial goal of catalyzing $2 billion of expanded private-sector investment in innovative solutions to address climate change.  

Curious what else we can do together to #ActOnClimate? Learn more about climate change and how you can stand with the President in his plan to combat it.