Wind and solar installations worldwide have produced more electricity than coal-fired power plants for the first time in 2025, signaling a historic shift in the global energy landscape, new research reveals.
Climate research organization Ember discovered that during the initial six months of 2025, clean energy sources exceeded worldwide electricity consumption growth, resulting in modest reductions in both coal and natural gas usage.
Solar electricity production jumped nearly one-third higher in the year's first half when compared to the corresponding 2024 timeframe, satisfying 83% of global power demand increases. Wind generation expanded by slightly more than 7%, enabling renewable sources to replace fossil fuel generation for the first time.
This achievement constitutes "a crucial turning point," stated Małgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, a senior electricity analyst at Ember who authored the study.
She explained: "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."
The Ember analysis indicates that China and India drove most of the renewable energy expansion, contrasting sharply with the US and Europe, where fossil fuel dependence remained stronger.
An additional study from the International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that worldwide renewable capacity could exceed double current levels before 2030, with solar photovoltaic technology accounting for 80% of new clean energy installations.
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol noted: "The growth in global renewable capacity in the coming years will be dominated by solar PV – but with wind, hydropower, bioenergy and geothermal all contributing, too."
The IEA anticipates China will maintain its position as the largest renewable energy growth market globally, while India is positioned to become the second-largest throughout the remaining decade.
"In addition to growth in established markets, solar is set to surge in economies such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and several south-east Asian countries," Birol added.
China installed more renewable capacity than all other nations combined, resulting in a 2% reduction in fossil fuel consumption during the first half of 2025 compared to the equivalent period in 2024, Ember's research showed.
During this same timeframe, India expanded its renewable generation by more than triple its electricity demand growth, which remained notably subdued this year, causing coal and gas consumption to decline by 3.1% and 34% respectively.
Conversely, US electricity consumption exceeded renewable sector growth, resulting in a 17% surge in coal-fired generation during the year's first six months.
European Union demand experienced only marginal increases compared to the previous year's first half, but weather-driven declines in wind and hydroelectric output meant that rapidly expanding solar capacity could not offset gas and coal generation increases of 14% and 1.1% respectively.
