Clean Energy Meets All Global Electricity Demand Growth in 2025
Renewables generated 34% of global electricity in 2025, overtaking coal for the first time as all demand growth was met by clean sources.
We have entered the era of clean growth. Research from Ember's Global Electricity Review 2026 confirms that all of 2025's growth in global electricity demand was met from renewable sources, while fossil fuel power generation remained flat. For the first time, renewable energy accounted for 34% of global electricity generation — outstripping coal at 33%.
The transformation is being driven by extraordinary growth in solar, which rose by nearly a third, with more than half the increase coming from China. India showed particularly strong progress, with fossil fuel power generation falling by 52 terawatt hours. This could mark the definitive turning point in phasing out fossil fuels from the power sector.
The implications are profound. The power sector has been the largest source of carbon emissions globally. If renewables can now meet all new demand while displacing existing fossil generation, the path to net-zero becomes not just imaginable but achievable.
Key Facts
- Renewable energy: 34% of global electricity generation (vs coal at 33%) - Solar generation rose by nearly 33% year-on-year - China contributed >50% of global solar increase - India fossil fuel generation fell by 52 TWh - Source: Ember Global Electricity Review 2026
Why This Matters
Coal has dominated electricity generation since the Industrial Revolution. The fact that renewables have now overtaken it represents a historic shift in the global energy economy. This milestone comes just eight years after the Paris Agreement, demonstrating that when policy, technology, and economics align, transformation can happen faster than projected.
What We Don't Know Yet
- "Fossil fuel generation remained flat" includes natural gas, which still grew in some regions - Coal decline is concentrated in developed economies and China; some regions still expanding coal - 34% vs 33% margin is narrow and could fluctuate year-to-year - Electricity is only ~20% of total energy consumption — transport and heating still fossil-dependent