Clean Energy: An $850B Opportunity
Clean energy revenues could reach $850 billion by 2030, according to an estimate recently compiled by Barclays Capital.
Barclays expects clean energy revenues to grow to $181 billion in 2010 from $128 billion last year, $322 billion by 2015 and $844 billion by 2030 — see chart below.
In terms capacity wind power will account for 9.8 percent of the world’s electricity output in 2030 from 1.6 percent in 2008, the Barclays report estimates. Solar power, which currently accounts for less than one percent of global generation capacity, is expected to generate 11.6 percent of the world’s electricity by 2030. Geothermal power could generate 9.1 percent of global electricity from 0.3 percent now.
Interestingly, the growth of the clean energy market is expected to cut the cost of solar generation from $7/watt, currently to $1.30/watt by 2030. However, the cost of wind and geothermal generation will not bulge, remaining at $2.0/watt over the next two decades. See the Barclays report .
