In 2014, after a two-year dip in global clean energy spending, the world saw a record $310 billion invested in solar, wind, storage and energy efficiency.

Although yearly investment levels are still below what IEA estimates are needed to address climate change, the increase shows that appetite for funding projects and companies is increasing. Some say the investment figures prove that fossil fuels in the electricity sector have already lost the long-term race to renewables.

This week, we’ll talk with Michael Liebreich, founder of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, about what the global numbers tell us.

Then, we’ll look at how renewables are factoring into the upcoming parliamentary elections in the U.K.

Finally, we’ll talk about why the White House’s Quadrennial Energy Review is so important for planning the future grid.

This podcast is sponsored by ReneSola, a Tier 1 solar cell and module manufacturer with a decade of experience in the cleantech industry. 

The Energy Gang is produced by Greentechmedia.com. The show features weekly discussions between energy futurist Jigar Shah, energy policy expert Katherine Hamilton and Greentech Media Editor Stephen Lacey.