It’s official: wind and solar power have reached a new high. For the very first time, these clean energy sources produced more electricity than coal globally. This happened during the first half of 2025. It marks a huge turning point for how the world powers itself.
A New Era for Energy
A detailed report from the climate think tank Ember confirms this historic shift. It found that renewable energy grew faster than the world’s electricity needs during those first six months of 2025. This meant less coal and natural gas had to be burned. It’s a big win for cleaner power.
Globally, solar power jumped by almost a third compared to the same time in 2024. It met a huge 83% of the world’s new electricity demand. Wind power also saw good growth, up just over 7%. This combined effort pushed clean energy past fossil fuels for the very first time.
Małgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, a senior electricity analyst at Ember and the report’s author, called this a “crucial turning point.”
Solar and wind power are now growing fast enough to meet the world’s increasing electricity demand. This milestone marks the start of a new era, where clean energy can truly keep pace with what we use.
The expert added.
Source: Monthly Electricity Data, Ember
Leaders in Clean Power
The Ember report clearly shows who is driving this change. China and India are pushing hard for renewables. In contrast, the United States and Europe still rely more on fossil fuels. This creates a fascinating split in global energy strategies.
Looking ahead, another report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) paints a bright picture. They expect global renewable capacity to more than double by the end of this decade. A massive 80% of this new clean energy will come from solar.
Fatih Birol, who leads the IEA, confirmed this trend.
The growth of global renewable capacity in the coming years will be dominated by solar PV, but will also include contributions from wind, hydro, bioenergy, and geothermal.
The IEA predicts China will remain the biggest market for renewable growth. India is set to become the second largest throughout the 2020s.
Beyond growth in established markets, solar power is expected to expand in economies like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and several Southeast Asian countries.
Birol added.
China’s efforts are especially impressive. In the first half of 2025, China added more renewable energy than the rest of the world combined. This helped cut their fossil fuel use by 2% compared to the same months of 2024. India’s progress is also notable. Their renewable energy growth was three times more than their rising electricity demand. This led to a 3.1% drop in coal and a big 34% fall in gas use.