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3d ago

Wind and Solar Overtake Coal in Global Power for the First Time

New Ember analysis credits record solar growth in China and India and notes a modest drop in power‑sector emissions.

FILE - Wind turbines operate as the sun rises at the Klettwitz Nord solar energy park near Klettwitz, Germany, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
Workers inspect solar panels at a photovoltaic power station on a hill in Linyi, Shandong province, China August 11, 2018. Picture taken August 11, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer
FILE - A solar farm is visible in Hainan prefecture of western China's Qinghai province July 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
FILE - Wind turbines operate in a rural area near Canudos, Bahia state, Brazil, March 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Andre Penner, File)

Overview

  • Renewables generated 5,072 TWh in the first half of 2025, surpassing coal’s 4,896 TWh for the first time on record, according to Ember.
  • Global electricity demand rose 2.6% (+369 TWh), with solar meeting 83% of that increase (+306 TWh, +31% year over year) and wind adding 97 TWh (+7.7%).
  • Ember estimates overall fossil generation fell 0.3% and power‑sector CO2 emissions declined by about 0.2% in the period.
  • China and India cut fossil generation as clean power expanded, while the United States and European Union increased coal and gas use due to faster demand growth and weaker wind and hydropower.
  • The analysis draws on monthly data from 88 countries covering about 93% of global demand, as the IEA projects continued strong renewable additions to 2030 led by solar, contingent on policy support, grids and storage.