WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Record solar growth and steady wind expansion are reshaping the global power mix, as renewables overtake coal for the first time as the world's biggest source of electricity, according to new data.
Solar and wind outpaced the growth in global electricity demand in the first half of 2025, resulting in a very small decline in both coal and gas, compared to the same period last year, new analysis from Ember shows.
'We are seeing the first signs of a crucial turning point,' said Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, Senior Electricity Analyst at Ember. '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.'
Global electricity demand rose 2.6 percent in the first half of 2025, adding 369 TWh compared to the same period last year, the global energy think tank said in its report. Solar alone met 83 percent of the rise, thanks to record generation growth in absolute terms.
Solar and wind grew quickly enough to meet rising demand and start to replace fossil generation. Coal fell by 0.6 percent, only partly offset by a small rise in other fossil generation, for a total decline of 0.3 percent. As a result, global power sector emissions fell by 0.2 percent.
For the first time ever on record, renewables generated more power than coal. Renewables supplied 5,072 TWh of global electricity, up from 4,709 TWh in the same period in 2024, overtaking coal at 4,896 TWh, down 31 TWh year-on-year.
The 0.3 percent drop in fossil fuel generation was modest but significant, indicating that wind and solar generation are growing quickly enough that in some circumstances they can now meet total demand growth. As their exponential rise continues, they are likely to outstrip demand growth for longer and longer periods, cementing the decline of fossil generation.
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