Wind and solar power generation is expanding at record rates, so more people than ever get their electricity from renewable sources.

Judge as of 2019-05-20 using data for 2018 or the latest available. True if authoritative data (IEA, IRENA, BNEF, REN21) show that wind and solar generation or capacity additions reached record levels, and that renewable electricity supply or access reached an all-time high. Mostly true if both are broadly right but a detail is off, e.g. capacity additions were near-record rather than a record for one technology, while generation was a record. Mixed if generation was at an all-time high but growth or additions were not at record rates. Mostly false if the 'record rates' framing is clearly wrong (e.g. additions had flattened or fallen) and only the general growth trend holds. False if wind and solar generation was not growing.

Set before the research began.

1. E1 Renewables – Global Energy & CO2 Status Report 2019 – Analysis - IEA International Energy Agency (IEA) · 2019

   “Renewables increased by 4% in 2018, accounting for almost one-quarter of global energy demand growth. The power sector led the gains, with renewables-based electricity generation increasing at its fastest pace this decade.”

2. E2 Renewables – Global Energy & CO2 Status Report 2019 – Analysis - IEA International Energy Agency (IEA) · 2019

   “Solar PV electricity generation had another record year, growing 31%.”

3. E3 Renewables – Global Energy & CO2 Status Report 2019 – Analysis - IEA International Energy Agency (IEA) · 2019

   “China’s annual solar PV capacity additions were at 44 GW in 2018, which was lower than the increase of 53 GW in 2017.”

4. E4 Renewables – Global Energy & CO2 Status Report 2019 – Analysis - IEA International Energy Agency (IEA) · 2019

   “The global growth was similar to 2017, despite the decreasing global capacity expansion over the period 2015-17.”

The IEA's 2019 report says renewable electricity generation grew at its fastest pace of the decade in 2018 (E1), and that solar PV generation had "another record year," growing 31% (E2). Because generation was still growing, renewable electricity supply reached a new high. The evidence does not show record capacity additions: China's solar PV additions fell from 53 GW in 2017 to 44 GW in 2018 (E3), and the IEA says global growth was similar to 2017 despite decreasing global capacity expansion over 2015–17 (E4). None of the evidence covers wind on its own. The claim about generation is broadly supported (E1, E2), but the evidence does not show record capacity additions, so the verdict is mostly true.