“For the first time across a sustained period, renewables generated more electricity than coal globally.”
Ember’s analysis of 2025 data shows solar and wind are finally expanding fast enough to meet all new global electricity demand. Together they supplied 17.6% of global electricity in the first three quarters, up from 15.2% in the same period last year. Solar’s growth was more than three times larger than any other electricity source. The world added 793 gigawatts of renewable capacity in 2025, up 11% from 2024. Tech companies’ AI-driven data center expansion is driving much of the demand, but renewables are keeping pace.