Renewables Overtake Coal in Global Power for First Time

Renewable energy has surpassed coal in global electricity generation for the first time in modern history, marking a major milestone in the global energy transition, according to a new report published on April 21.

The findings come from the latest Global Electricity Review by energy research organisation Ember, which analyses data from 215 countries and offers one of the most comprehensive assessments of the world’s power system.

The report shows that a record expansion in solar power in 2025 played a key role in halting growth in fossil fuel-based electricity generation worldwide.

Clean energy sources met all of the increase in global electricity demand last year, keeping fossil fuel generation largely stable. Solar energy alone accounted for about 75 percent of the growth in demand, while combined solar and wind power met nearly all of it.

Global solar electricity generation rose to 636 terawatt-hours in 2025, a 30 percent increase from the previous year, marking the fastest growth in eight years. Since 2015, solar output has grown more than tenfold and is now equivalent to the total electricity consumption of the European Union.

The report found that clean electricity generation increased by 887 terawatt-hours in 2025, slightly surpassing global demand growth of 849 terawatt-hours. As a result, fossil fuel-based generation declined by 0.2 percent.

It also noted that this is only the fifth time in this century that fossil electricity generation has not increased.

China played a leading role in the transition, accounting for more than half of global growth in both solar capacity and generation.

Experts described the shift as a structural change in the global energy system.

“We have firmly entered the era of clean energy growth,” said Aditya Lolla, interim managing director of Ember. “Clean energy is now expanding fast enough to meet rising global electricity demand, keeping fossil generation stable ahead of its inevitable decline.”