Renewable energy overtakes coal in global electricity generation for first time: Report
Solar power alone accounted for 75% of the rise in demand, while combined solar and wind generation covered almost all of it, around 99%.
Renewable energy has overtaken coal in electricity generation for the first time in modern history, a report published today (21 April) by global energy research organisation Ember finds.
The report forms part of Ember's seventh annual Global Electricity Review, which provides one of the most comprehensive assessments of the global power system, based on data from 215 countries.
According to the report, a record surge in solar power in 2025 has effectively stalled the growth of fossil fuel-based electricity generation worldwide, marking a significant milestone in the global energy transition.
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The report shows that clean energy sources met all of the increase in global electricity demand last year, keeping fossil fuel-based generation largely flat.
Solar power alone accounted for 75% of the rise in demand, while combined solar and wind generation covered almost all of it, around 99%.
Global solar electricity generation rose to 636 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2025, a 30% increase from the previous year, the fastest growth rate in eight years.
According to the report, since 2015 solar output has expanded more than tenfold and is now equivalent to the total electricity demand of the European Union's 27 member states.
China led the expansion, contributing more than half of global growth in both solar capacity and generation.
Overall, clean electricity generation increased by 887 TWh in 2025, slightly exceeding global demand growth of 849 TWh.
As a result, fossil fuel-based electricity generation declined by 0.2%. It is only the fifth time this century that fossil electricity has not grown, the report said.
"We have firmly entered the era of clean energy growth," said Aditya Lolla, interim managing director of Ember.
"Clean energy is now expanding fast enough to meet rising global electricity demand, keeping fossil generation stable ahead of its inevitable decline. What we are witnessing is no longer just ambition; it is becoming a structural reality," he added.
