Renewable Energy Growth Surpasses Fossil Fuels in 2025
A recent report highlights significant growth in renewable energy, particularly in countries like China and India. Clean energy sources have now outpaced fossil fuels as global electricity demand rises. In 2025, renewable energy production increased by 887 terawatt hours (TWh), surpassing the overall global electrical demand growth, which was 849 TWh. This study was conducted by Ember, an energy research organization analyzing data from 215 countries.
For the first time, renewable sources—including solar, wind, and hydropower—accounted for over one-third of the world’s electricity supply. Specifically, they made up 33.8% of the mix, reaching 10,730 TWh last year. This shift is encouraging, especially considering the ongoing challenges posed by climate change due to fossil fuel use.
Nicolas Fulghum, a senior analyst at Ember, noted, “We are transitioning to a period where growth in electricity demand does not necessarily mean an increase in fossil fuel generation.” This marks a significant change from the past trends where rising electricity demand was primarily met by fossil fuels.
Additionally, coal saw a decline, dropping to less than one-third of global electricity generation. Fulghum explained that while milestones—like renewables overtaking coal—are important, they don’t capture the complete story of progress in the energy sector. He added, “Pledges from governments to expand renewables today are more credible than ever before.”
Solar and Wind Energy Surge
Solar energy alone grew by 30% in 2025 and contributed to three-quarters of the year’s increase in electricity demand. Together with wind energy, they completed 99% of this demand. Solar has outpaced wind generation for the first time and is expected to catch up with nuclear energy in the coming years.
Though fossil fuel generation saw little growth last year—falling 0.2% or about 38 TWh—battery storage also saw an increase, with a 46% rise. Battery costs dropped by 45%, allowing better management of solar energy production and usage beyond daylight hours.
Fulghum added, “Despite the rising demand for electricity driven by electric vehicles and industrial needs, clean energy is poised to meet this demand moving forward while reducing fossil fuel use.”
Regional Developments
Last year marked a turning point for both China and India, once heavily reliant on fossil fuels, which recorded declines in fossil fuel generation. China’s fossil fuel consumption decreased by 0.9% (56 TWh), while India’s fell by 3.3% (56 TWh).
Both countries are now actively integrating renewables into their energy strategies, leading to substantial growth in solar and wind generation. China is the global leader in solar capacity and wind energy, while India saw record gains in renewable energy production.
In the U.S. and Europe, solar power generation also increased significantly. Despite political pressures favoring fossil fuels in the U.S., the trend in Europe generally favors a decline in fossil fuel generation.
Experts believe that as oil prices fluctuate, there’s a stronger push for clean energy solutions—an effort to enhance energy independence. Alexis Abramson from Columbia University commented, “Clean energy is now economically viable for meeting rising demands and contributes to national security.”
This progress reflects a global shift toward sustainability and the need to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, marking a vital step forward.
