The Clean, Bright Future of Renewable Energy

Turning oil, coal and natural gas into usable energy requires them to be extracted from the Earth, transported, refined or processed into a usable form, and burned. This uses energy, creates several forms of pollution, and contributes to climate change.

Oil, coal and natural gas are called fossil fuels because they're made from plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. After these plants and animals died and decomposed, their remains were buried deep in the Earth, where heat and pressure transformed them into carbon- and hydrogen-rich liquids, solids and gases.

These materials are nonrenewable because they took a long time to form and have limited supplies. Once we use them, they're gone for good. In the United States today, most of the energy we use to heat and power our homes, schools and businesses and to fuel our cars and trucks still comes from nonrenewable fossil fuels. But our energy mix is changing—with more room for improvement.

Unlimited Supply for Growing Demand

Renewable energy comes from sources like sunlight and wind that will never run out. The cleanest renewable sources don't have to be burned and generating energy from them doesn't release carbon and other pollutants into the atmosphere. While manufacturing the equipment needed to capture solar and wind resources produces some greenhouse gas emissions, these pale in comparison to those emitted from fossil fuel-derived energy.

According to a 2024 report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the world added 473 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity last year, with 80% producing power more cheaply than fossil fuels. In the U.S. in March 2025, clean energy sources generated more than half of all the country's electricity for the first time ever.

"Renewable energy sources like rooftop solar and offshore wind are solutions we as a society need to prioritize," said Maggie Ostdahl, the National Aquarium's director of conservation policy. "Scaling solar and wind solutions must be done responsibly by avoiding or reducing negative impacts. And regardless of how it's generated, conserving or reducing wasted energy is critical.

"Bottom line: We are never going to be able to meet our growing energy demand with zero impacts, and renewable energy sources are cleaner, more cost-effective, better for public health, and cause far less pollution and harm to people and wildlife than fossil fuels."

Renewable energy sources like solar and on- and offshore wind are reliable and available everywhere on Earth, unlike fossil fuels, which account for 40% of the materials transported around the globe. Building the infrastructure needed to tap into renewable energy resources creates new industries and jobs while lowering energy costs. Another bonus: Renewable energies don't release excessive greenhouse gas emissions that warm our atmosphere and lead to more extreme and dangerous weather events we increasingly experience. And because the supply of limited fossil fuels continues to decline as worldwide energy demand continues to rise, renewable energy is often a more affordable option for more people all around the globe.

Solar Energy

According to the U.S. Department of Energy's explanation of how solar works, the amount of sunlight that hits the Earth's surface in 90 minutes is enough to handle the entire world's energy consumption for a full year. Solar technologies convert sunlight into energy that can be used to generate electricity or saved in batteries or thermal storage. The most common means of capturing sunlight for solar energy is through photovoltaic (PV) panels, those familiar dark, gridded rectangles installed on rooftops or as solar arrays on land. Community solar projects mean it's not necessary to own a home or building to increase solar infrastructure.

Solar energy production is a rapidly growing industry that already employs hundreds of thousands of American workers in manufacturing, installation and maintenance positions. As the cost of solar panels and other technologies decreases, solar is becoming an increasingly affordable way to power a home or business. In fact, solar costs have fallen by 90% in the last decade.

Maryland quadrupled its solar energy capacity from 258 megawatts to 1,000 megawatts (or one gigawatt) over the past 10 years. The amount of energy generated from solar in Maryland and across the United States continues to grow. California is leading the way in the U.S., generating more than 30% of its energy through solar power.

The Aquarium and Constellation installed a solar tree on Pier 4 of the Baltimore Inner Harbor in 2022 to highlight a shared commitment to clean energy development. The solar tree is a large-scale sculpture, a functioning solar power collector, and a symbol of energy stewardship.

On- and Offshore Wind Energy

Wind is another abundant, untapped clean energy opportunity. Large turbines on land and in the ocean can harness the consistent wind resources there and convert those into clean, renewable power.

On- and offshore wind turbines harness wind energy, generating electricity as the wind rotates the turbines' large blades. Onshore wind farms tend to be built in rural areas with few buildings and structures to interrupt airflow, while offshore wind farms are built on the open ocean.

The Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013 first required that 2.5% of all electricity sales in Maryland come from offshore wind by 2020. In April 2023, the Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources (POWER) Act increased the state's target to 8.5 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2031, enough to power every home in the state. The National Aquarium worked with other advocates to ensure that this law requires wildlife consideration during offshore wind projects' development and operations. Offshore wind development in Maryland and around the nation will tap into an efficient source of clean energy near where most of us live—along the coast—and benefit multiple sectors of the economy, including manufacturing, maritime and port logistics.

The Aquarium recently published a two-part series to answer common questions about offshore wind with responses from experts at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the National Wildlife Federation.

Room to Grow

As part of the National Aquarium's plans to achieve net-zero emissions by 2035, we are making our operations more efficient while increasing our use of on- and off-site renewable energy sources, including wind and solar. In 2024, 53% of the Aquarium's electric energy came from renewable sources.

Data from 2022 show that Maryland's energy grid is nearing 5% solar and less than 2% wind, so there is plenty of room to grow. Meeting a growing energy demand and planning for a livable future means continual public policy development at the local, state, federal and international levels.

"Renewable energy is something that most Marylanders and Americans support, and they want elected leaders to act," said Maggie. "People see the value in moving away from dirty fossil fuels with limited supplies to clean, unlimited energy sources."