Overview

• Global renewables generated more electricity than coal in the first half of 2025, with fossil fuel power slightly declining year over year, according to Ember.
• China’s export push set new marks, totaling about $120 billion through July and reaching $20 billion in August, including a record 46 gigawatts of solar capacity shipped that month.
• Low-cost hardware from Chinese manufacturers, which produce the vast majority of the world’s solar components, is accelerating uptake in emerging markets, with African solar imports up 60% in the year to June 2025.
• More than half of Chinese EV exports went to non‑OECD countries, signaling growing influence in regions prioritizing affordable, durable energy technologies over consumable fuels.
• In contrast, recent U.S. federal actions—permitting blocks on federal lands, rollback of wind and solar tax support, and enforcement moves that hit projects—prompted the IEA to halve its outlook for U.S. renewable capacity growth, while even Saudi Arabia is investing billions and targeting roughly half its power from clean sources by 2030.