ScienceWorldwide solar and wind power generation has outpaced electricity demand this year, and for the first time on record, renewable energies combined generated more power than coal, according to a new analysis.Report shows solar, wind booming worldwide, but fossil fuel generation rose in U.S., EUAlexa St. John · The Associated Press · Posted: Oct 07, 2025 12:49 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoWorkers install solar panels in the western state of Gujarat, India, in 2023. India saw record solar and wind power generation growth that outpaced the growth in demand in the first half of this year, according to a report by the global energy think-tank Ember. (Rafiq Maqbool/The Associated Press)Worldwide solar and wind power generation has outpaced electricity demand this year, and for the first time on record, renewable energies combined generated more power than coal, according to a new analysis.Global solar generation grew by a record 31 per cent in the first half of the year, while wind generation grew by 7.7 per cent, according to the report by the global energy think-tank Ember.Solar and wind generation combined grew by more than 400 terawatt hours, which was more than overall global demand increased in the same period, it found.Renewables accounted for 34.3 per cent of electricity generation globally in the first half of 2025, while coal accounted for 33.1 per cent. It’s the first time renewables have overtaken coal, according to the report.The findings suggest it is possible for the world to wean off polluting sources of power — even as demand for electricity skyrockets — with continued investment in renewables including solar, wind, hydropower, bioenergy and geothermal energies.”That means that they can keep up the pace with growing appetite for electricity worldwide,” said Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, senior electricity analyst at Ember and lead author of the study.At the same time, total fossil fuel generation dropped slightly, by less than one per cent.”The fall overall of fossil may be small, but it is significant,” said Wiatros-Motyka. “This is a turning point when we see emissions plateauing.”The firm analyzes monthly data from 88 countries representing the vast majority of electricity demand around the world.Reasons that demand is increasing include economic growth, electric vehicles and data centres, rising populations in developing countries and the need for more cooling as temperatures rise.Meeting that demand by burning fossil fuels such as coal and gas for electricity releases planet-warming gases including carbon dioxide and methane. This leads to more severe, costly and deadly extreme weather.Men use a cot to salvage belongings, including a solar panel, from their flooded home in Pakistan in 2022. Some made rescuing their solar panel a priority as they fled their homes in the face of the rising floods. Pakistan has added huge amounts of solar through rooftop panels since 2021. (Fareed Khan/The Associated Press)China, India leading the wayEmber also dedicated part of its report to an analysis of China, India, the European Union and the U.S. Combined, they account for nearly two-thirds of electricity generation and carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector globally.In the first six months of the year, China added more solar and wind than the rest of the world combined, and its fossil fuel generation fell by two per cent, the report said.India saw record solar and wind growth that outpaced the growth in demand. India’s fossil fuel generation also dropped.In both countries, emissions fell.”It’s often been said by analysts that renewable energy doesn’t really lead to a reduction in fossil fuel use,” said Michael Gerrard, founder and director of the Columbia University Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, who was not involved in the report.”This report highlights an encouraging step in the opposite direction.”But in the U.S., demand growth outpaced the growth of clean power generation. In the E.U., sluggish wind and hydropower generation contributed to higher coal and gas generation, the report said. In both markets, fossil fuel generation and emissions increased.Renewables in U.S. face challengesThe U.S. clean energy market faces challenges as President Donald Trump’s administration shifts federal policy away from renewables and toward boosting coal, oil and gas production. The administration has terminated Biden-era funding that supported clean energy projects, repealed policy underpinning climate-related regulation and halted wind energy developments.Meanwhile, the administration has lifted barriers to coal mining, granted two years of regulatory relief to coal-fired power plants and other polluting industries and dedicated millions of dollars to these coal plants.LISTEN | Experts concerned about Trump’s comments about climate change: Metro Morning7:47Why U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments about climate change at the UN is drawing concern from expertsJessica Green is a political science professor at U of T whose research focuses on climate change.In his speech at the United Nations General Assembly last month, Trump attacked renewable energy and questioned the validity of the concept of climate change.Experts warn that Trump’s efforts to block clean energy will have a long-term impact.”The federal government is greatly increasing the growth of artificial intelligence, which is going to massively increase electricity demand, and they’re also shutting down the cheapest new sources of electricity, wind and solar. That’s going to lead to a gap in supply and demand,” Gerrard said.China Huaneng Group’s Beijing power plant was the last coal-fired plant to shut down in 2017 as the Chinese capital converted to clean energy like thermal power. (Andy Wong/The Associated Press)Renewables “still have an opportunity to make inroads in to displacing fossil fuels, even with some demand growth,” said Amanda Smith, senior scientist at research organization Project Drawdown, who also wasn’t involved in the report.But, Smith said: “I am very cautiously optimistic that renewables can continue to grow and continue to displace fossil fuels in the U.S. I am more optimistic on the world scale.”
Renewables become biggest source of electricity globally for 1st time, beating coal
