...AND CHEAPER...:

Europe leads the world in solar-power installations, with about 60 percent of the global total. Germany's decision to shun nuclear power has propelled the industry's growth there: On a particularly bright day in the middle of last year, the sun provided half the nation's energy needs. A government drive resulted in Germany having a third of Europe's solar total, according to the European Photovoltaic Industry Association.

Europe has also been swift to adopt wind power, with sufficient capacity to meet more than 10 percent of the region's energy needs, according to the European Wind Energy Association. That reflects a global embrace of turbines, which has seen the world's wind capacity double since 2009, according to the Global Wind Energy Council:

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