In a first, renewables generate more power than coal globally

Solar and wind power aren’t just keeping up with global electricity demand anymore – they’re pulling ahead. According to a new analysis from energy think tank Ember, solar and wind combined outpaced global electricity demand growth in the first half of 2025. That shift led to a drop in both coal and gas generation compared to the same period last year. For the first time ever, renewables generated more power than coal globally.

“We’re seeing the first signs of a crucial turning point,” said Małgorzata 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.”

Solar leads the charge

Global electricity demand rose 2.6% in the first half of 2025 – an additional 369 terawatt-hours (TWh) year-over-year. Solar met a stunning 83% of that increase, growing by 306 TWh, or 31% year-over-year. Combined with steady wind expansion, renewables were able to meet rising demand and start displacing fossil fuels.

Coal generation fell 0.6% (-31 TWh), gas dropped 0.2% (-6 TWh), and overall fossil generation declined 0.3% (-27 TWh). As a result, global power sector emissions fell by 0.2%.

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Renewables supplied 5,072 TWh of electricity in the first half of 2025 – up from 4,709 TWh a year earlier. Coal, by comparison, generated 4,896 TWh, down 31 TWh year-over-year. It’s the first time on record that clean energy has overtaken coal.

A global turning point

Ember’s analysis shows this is more than a blip. Solar and wind are now growing fast enough to meet new demand and begin cutting into fossil generation. As deployment accelerates, Ember expects clean power to outstrip demand growth for longer stretches, pushing fossil fuels into permanent decline.

But progress isn’t uniform across the globe. Among the world’s four biggest power markets – China, India, the US, and the EU – two saw fossil generation fall, while two saw it rise.

China remains the global clean energy powerhouse, adding more solar and wind capacity than the rest of the world combined. Its fossil generation fell 2% (-58.7 TWh) in the first half of 2025.

In India, clean power growth outpaced demand threefold. With electricity demand rising just 1.3% (+12 TWh) – far below the 9% surge seen last year – fossil generation dropped sharply: coal fell 3.1% (-22 TWh) and gas plunged 34% (-7.1 TWh).

In contrast, fossil generation rose in the US and EU. In the US, demand grew faster than renewables could keep up, leading to higher fossil fuel output. In the EU, weaker wind and hydro performance meant more gas and coal were needed to fill the gap.

What comes next

With half the world already past the peak of fossil fuel generation, Ember says the trend is clear: Clean power can keep up with rising electricity demand. But to lock in progress, deployment of solar, wind, and batteries needs to accelerate.

“Solar and wind are no longer marginal technologies – they’re driving the global power system forward,” said Sonia Dunlop, CEO of the Global Solar Council. “The fact that renewables have overtaken coal for the first time marks a historic shift. But to secure it, governments and industry must step up investment in clean energy and storage so affordable, reliable power reaches everyone.”

Ember’s Wiatros-Motyka added, “With technology costs continuing to fall, now is the perfect moment to embrace the economic, social, and health benefits that come with increased solar, wind, and batteries.”

Read more: FERC: Solar + wind made up 90% of new US power generating capacity to July 2025

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