Renewable energy comes from a source that is naturally replenished, such as wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and hydropower. Renewable energy helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the use of fossil fuels — specifically coal, petroleum and natural gas — that are major sources of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States.

As of 2018, 11% of U.S. energy consumption was from renewable energy, and that figure is expected to rise through 2050, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Most renewable energy technologies provide electricity and can provide more efficiency in combination with other energy resources. It is clean at the point of consumption and can lead to substantial reductions in key energy requirements.

Data centers, which consume vast amounts of power, increasingly opt for green alternatives and are incorporating clean, renewable energy into their operations in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. Some data centers, including Stream, offer energy procurement services that can include renewable energy.