A new Ember review says clean electricity generation in 2025 grew faster than global demand, with solar growth in China and India doing most of the work.
Renewable power growth in 2025 was strong enough to cover all of the world’s new electricity demand, according to Ember’s Global Electricity Review 2026.
The report said clean electricity generation rose by 887 terawatt hours last year, outpacing growth in global electricity demand of 849 TWh. Renewables accounted for 33.8% of global electricity generation, or about 10,730 TWh.
Solar was the main driver of that increase, with especially strong growth in China and India. AP reported that both countries also saw declines in fossil-fuel generation in 2025 as solar output expanded.
The review also said coal’s share of global electricity generation slipped below one-third last year, underscoring a broader shift in the power mix.
The figures were published as the latest annual snapshot of the global electricity system, with the International Energy Agency also pointing to strong solar output and changing demand patterns in its own April 2026 analysis.
Why it matters
The results mark a notable milestone for the energy transition: clean power did not just grow, it grew fast enough to absorb the world’s additional electricity needs for the year.
That does not mean fossil fuels have stopped playing a major role. But it does suggest that rapid solar expansion, especially in the two largest emerging drivers of demand growth, is beginning to reshape the global balance of power generation.
Revision note
Initial automated publication.