Renewables surpass coal in global electricity generation for first time

For the first time in history, renewable energy sources have generated more electricity than coal worldwide, marking a major milestone in the transition to clean power.

Analysis by energy think tank Ember reveals that in the first half of 2025, solar and wind power not only kept pace with rising global electricity demand but exceeded it. This growth contributed to a reduction in coal and gas generation compared with the same period last year.

“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% during the first six months of 2025, an increase of 369 terawatt-hours (TWh) compared with 2024. Solar power alone supplied 306 TWh of this growth, accounting for 83% of the additional demand, and grew 31% year-on-year. Alongside steady wind expansion, renewables were able to satisfy rising demand while beginning to displace fossil fuels.

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

Renewables supplied 5,072 TWh of electricity in the first half of 2025, compared with 4,709 TWh a year earlier. Coal produced 4,896 TWh, down 31 TWh from 2024, marking the first recorded instance of clean energy overtaking coal.

A global turning point

Ember’s analysis suggests this is not a temporary fluctuation. Solar and wind are expanding fast enough to meet rising electricity demand while gradually reducing reliance on fossil fuels. As deployment accelerates, Ember predicts clean power will increasingly exceed demand growth, pushing fossil fuels into long-term decline.

However, progress is uneven. Among the world’s four largest electricity markets – China, India, the US, and the EU – two experienced declines in fossil fuel generation, while two saw increases.

China remains the leading force in clean energy, adding more solar and wind capacity than the rest of the world combined, while cutting fossil generation by 2% (-58.7 TWh) in the first half of 2025.

In India, growth in renewables outpaced demand threefold. Electricity demand rose only 1.3% (+12 TWh), down from 9% last year, allowing fossil generation to fall sharply: coal dropped 3.1% (-22 TWh) and gas plunged 34% (-7.1 TWh).

By contrast, fossil fuel generation rose in the US and EU. In the US, electricity demand grew faster than renewables could supply, while in the EU, weaker wind and hydro output necessitated greater use of coal and gas.

Looking ahead

With half the world already past the peak of fossil fuel generation, Ember says the trajectory is clear: clean power can keep up with growing electricity demand. But further progress will require accelerated deployment of solar, wind, and battery storage.

“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.”

“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,” added Wiatros-Motyka.