Energy / North America
Global Electricity Transition 2025
In 2025, clean power fully met the growth in global electricity demand, completely halting the increase in fossil generation. Solar power led the transition, achieving its highest growth rate in eight years and contributing to three-quarters of the demand increase.
Source material: Key findings from Ember's Global Electricity Review 2026
Summary
In 2025, clean power fully met the growth in global electricity demand, completely halting the increase in fossil generation. Solar power led the transition, achieving its highest growth rate in eight years and contributing to three-quarters of the demand increase.
For the first time in over a century, renewable energy sources surpassed coal generation, marking a pivotal moment in the energy transition. Fossil generation declined globally, particularly in China and India, with China experiencing a 0.9% decrease and India a more significant 3.3% drop.
India's renewable energy deployment is five times greater than China's at a similar GDP per capita, highlighting a quicker move towards clean energy. Solar power was the primary driver of global electricity growth in 2025, achieving a 30% growth rate and generating 8.7% of global electricity.
Battery storage deployment reached record levels, with prices falling to $70 per kilowatt hour, facilitating a new phase of solar energy growth. The newly added global battery capacity can absorb 14% of the daily solar generation, indicating that battery growth is rapidly aligning with solar advancements.
Perspectives
Proponents of Renewable Energy
- Clean power met all the growth in global electricity demand in 2025, halting fossil generation growth
- Solar power achieved a 30% growth rate, generating 8.7% of global electricity
Skeptics of Renewable Energy Growth
- Assumes that the growth in clean power will continue without considering potential market fluctuations
Neutral / Shared
- Battery storage deployment reached record levels, facilitating a new phase of solar energy growth
- Renewables surpassed coal generation for the first time in over a century
Metrics
0.9%
decline in fossil generation in China
Indicates a significant shift in energy production dynamics in a major economy
In China, we saw a fall of 56 teradours or 0.9% decline
3.3%
decline in fossil generation in India
Highlights the impact of clean energy policies in one of the largest fossil fuel consumers
in India, we actually saw an even sharper relative decline of 3.3%
94%
rise in demand in China met by low carbon sources
Demonstrates the effectiveness of low carbon sources in meeting energy needs
Wind and solar power alone covered 94% of the rise in demand in China
81%
increase in wind and solar generation since 2000
Shows the rapid adoption of renewable energy technologies over the last decade
81% of the increase in wind and solar since 2000 has occurred in just the last 10 years
5%
rise in electricity demand in China
Indicates robust economic activity and energy consumption trends
despite a robust increase in electricity demand of 5% in 2025
0.2%
small fall in fossil generation globally
Reflects a broader trend towards renewable energy adoption
fossil generation recorded a small fall of 0.2%
2.8%
growth in electricity demand
Shows the resilience of electricity demand despite shifts in generation sources
electricity demand growth was robust rising by 2.8%
56 teradours
decline in fossil generation in China
Quantifies the scale of change in fossil fuel reliance
we saw a fall of 56 teradours
Key entities
Key developments
Phase 1
In 2025, clean power fully met the growth in global electricity demand, completely halting the increase in fossil generation. Solar power led the transition, achieving its highest growth rate in eight years and contributing to three-quarters of the demand increase.
- In 2025, clean power fully met the growth in global electricity demand, completely halting the increase in fossil generation
- Solar power led the transition, achieving its highest growth rate in eight years and contributing to three-quarters of the demand increase
- For the first time in over a century, renewable energy sources surpassed coal generation, marking a pivotal moment in the energy transition
- Fossil generation declined globally, particularly in China and India, with China experiencing a 0.9% decrease and India a more significant 3.3% drop
- The report indicates that 81% of the increase in wind and solar generation since 2000 occurred in the last decade, highlighting a rapid shift towards clean energy
- Despite a 5% rise in electricity demand in China, low carbon sources, especially wind and solar, accounted for 94% of this increase, resulting in the first decline in fossil generation since 2015
Phase 2
In 2025, solar power achieved a 30% growth rate, generating 8.7% of global electricity and significantly contributing to the transition from fossil fuels. India's renewable energy deployment outpaced China's, indicating a rapid shift towards clean energy sources.
- Chinas reduction in fossil generation in 2025 contributed to a global plateau in fossil fuel growth, indicating a major shift in the power sector
- India saw a significant increase in renewable energy, particularly solar, which outpaced previous demand growth despite lower temperatures, reflecting a swift transition from coal
- Indias renewable energy deployment is five times greater than Chinas at a similar GDP per capita, highlighting a quicker move towards clean energy
- Solar power was the primary driver of global electricity growth in 2025, achieving a 30% growth rate and generating 8.7% of global electricity, approaching levels seen in nuclear power
- In May 2025, solar energy met approximately 25% of global electricity demand during peak hours, with countries like Hungary, Germany, and Spain reaching midday solar shares exceeding 50%
Phase 3
In 2025, renewables surpassed coal in global electricity generation for the first time in over a century, accounting for 33.8% compared to coal's 33.0%. Battery storage deployment reached record levels, with prices falling to $70 per kilowatt hour, facilitating a new phase of solar energy growth.
- In 2025, battery storage deployment reached record levels, with prices falling to $70 per kilowatt hour, a 45% reduction from the previous year, facilitating a new phase of solar energy growth
- The newly added global battery capacity can absorb 14% of the daily solar generation, indicating that battery growth is rapidly aligning with solar advancements
- Chile and Australia emerged as leaders in battery storage, with systems capable of absorbing over 50% of new solar generation, effectively shifting solar output to meet demand during non-sunny hours
- For the first time in over a century, renewables surpassed coal in global electricity generation, accounting for 33.8% compared to coals 33.0%, marking a significant shift in the energy landscape
- This transition is evident across most regions, with renewables outpacing coal everywhere except Asia, where coal remains dominant but has declined by 10 percentage points since its peak in 2013
Phase 4
In 2025, renewables surpassed coal in global electricity generation for the first time in over a century, accounting for 33.8% compared to coal's 33.0%. This shift reflects a significant transition in the energy landscape.
- In 2025, renewables surpassed coal for the first time in over a century, generating 33.8% of global electricity compared to coals 33.0%, reflecting a significant shift in the energy landscape, particularly as renewables outpaced coal in