‘Utility Agrees to Close Arkansas’ Largest Coal Plant.’ ‘Holtec International is looking to buy up nuclear plants in order to take them down.’ ‘Endesa to close two Spanish coal plants in 2020.’ With headlines like these, who is safe in the energy sector these days? Gas-fired plants are doing well. A recent ruling cleared the way for gas-fired plants in West Virgina. Duke Energy just fired up a new $1.5 billion natural gas power plant. And earlier this month, Xcel bought a 1,360 MW gas-fired plant in Minnesota. However, a new study finds California could close 28 natural gas plants immediately without affecting electricity reliability. And a study in the UK finds they could shut down most of their gas plants and keep the light on with renewables.

Are renewables the only safe bet for long-term investment? What’s the best route regarding renewable energy? Wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, biomass or all of the above? Will battery storage reduce the need for natural gas as a backup to intermittent renewable energy? Earlier this month, NREL released the 2015 Renewable Energy Data Book. Check out four charts that show renewable energy is on the rise in America. Globally, investment in clean energy in 2015 grew by more than 4%, totaling $329 billion. In the United States, clean energy investment grew by 10%, totaling $45 billion in 2015. It’s clear that the market for clean energy is poised to grow in the years ahead. From electricity generation to investment portfolios, what will it all mean for the energy sector?