Renewables contributed more to global electricity than coal in the first half of 2025, marking a “crucial turning point” in the world’s energy mix, Ember has said.
According to Małgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, senior electricity analyst at Ember, “Solar and wind are now growing fast enough to meet the world’s growing appetite for electricity. This marks the beginning of a shift where clean power is keeping pace with demand growth.”
Electricity demand
As the data showed, global electricity demand increased by 2.6% in the first half of this year – an extra 369 TWh – but all of that growth was met by solar and wind generation, with coal and gas generation seeing a small decline compared to the same period last year.
Solar reported record generation growth in absolute terms (306 TWh, +31% year-on-year), with coal falling by 0.6% (-31 TWh) and gas by 0.2% (-6 TWh). While this was partly offset by a small rise in other fossil generation, global power sector emissions fell by 0.2% in the period.
Overall, renewables generated 5,072 TWh of electricity in the first half of the year (up from 4,709 TWh in the same period in 2024,), surpassing coal, which generated 4,896 TWh (down 31 TWh year-on-year).
‘The 0.3% (-27 TWh) drop in fossil fuel generation was modest but significant, indicating that wind and solar generation are growing quickly enough that in some circumstances they can now meet total demand growth,’ Ember noted.
‘As their exponential rise continues, they are likely to outstrip demand growth for longer and longer periods, cementing the decline of fossil generation.’
China and India lead the way
In geographical terms, China and India both saw fossil generation fall in the first half of 2025, with clean energy production outpacing demand. China’s fossil output fell by 2%, or 58.7 TWh, as it added more solar and wind capacity than the rest of the world combined.
In the United States, meanwhile, fossil generation increased, with demand growth outpacing clean power supply. In the European Union, weaker wind and hydro output led to higher gas and coal generation.
“This analysis confirms what we are witnessing on the ground: solar and wind are no longer marginal technologies – they are driving the global power system forward,” added Sonia Dunlop, CEO, Global Solar Council.
“The fact that renewables have overtaken coal for the first time marks a historic shift. But to lock in this progress, governments and industry must accelerate investment in solar, wind, and battery storage, ensuring that clean, affordable, and reliable electricity reaches communities everywhere.” Read more here.
