Overview
- Ember’s mid‑year data show renewables generated 5,072 TWh in the first half of 2025, surpassing coal’s 4,896 TWh for the first time.
- Solar (+306 TWh) and wind (+97 TWh) growth outpaced the 369 TWh rise in global electricity demand, with China supplying about 55% of the solar increase.
- The IEA now projects 4,600 GW of additional renewable capacity by 2030, down from 5,500 GW in last year’s outlook and equivalent to roughly a 2.6× increase over 2022.
- The downgrade is driven largely by US policy reversals under President Donald Trump that cut the US outlook by nearly half, plus China’s shift to auctions that moderates growth even as China remains the biggest driver.
- Solar remains the dominant engine at roughly 80% of expected additions, with India set to become the second‑largest growth market and the IEA urging faster grid and storage investment to integrate variable supply.