Renewables have become the world’s largest source of electricity for the first time, overtaking coal

Solar and wind generation worldwide exceeded electricity demand this year, and for the first time ever, renewable energies combined generated more power than coal, according to a new analysis.

Global solar power generation grew by a record 31 percent in the first half of the year, while wind power generation grew by 7.7 percent. According to the report By Ember Global Energy Research Centre.

It found that combined solar and wind generation grew by more than 400 terawatt-hours, more than the total global demand increased in the same period.

Renewable energy sources accounted for 34.3 percent of global electricity generation in the first half of 2025, while coal accounted for 33.1 percent. This is the first time that renewable energy sources have outperformed coal, according to the report.

The findings suggest that it is possible for the world to wean off polluting energy sources – even as demand for electricity rises – while continuing to invest in renewable energy sources including solar, wind, hydropower, bioenergy and geothermal.

“This means they are able to keep up with the pace of the growing appetite for electricity around the world,” said Malgorzata Wiatros Motyka, senior electricity analyst at Ember and lead author of the study.

Meanwhile, total fossil fuel generation fell slightly, by less than one percent.

“The overall decline in fossils may be small, but it is significant,” said Wiatros Motyka. “This is a turning point when we see emissions plateau.”

The company analyzes monthly data from 88 countries that represent the vast majority of electricity demand worldwide.

Reasons for increased demand include economic growth, electric cars and data centers, rising populations in developing countries, and the need for more cooling as temperatures rise.

Meeting this demand by burning fossil fuels such as coal and gas to generate electricity releases gases that warm the planet, including carbon dioxide and methane. This leads to more extreme, costly and deadly weather.

China and India are leading the way

Ember also devoted part of its report to analyzing China, India, the European Union and the United States combined, as they account for nearly two-thirds of electricity generation and carbon dioxide emissions from the energy sector globally.

In the first six months of the year, China added more solar and wind power than the rest of the world combined, and fossil fuel generation fell by 2 percent, the report said.

India has seen record growth in solar and wind energy that has outpaced growth in demand. Fossil fuel production in India has also declined.

In both countries, emissions fell.

“Analysts often say that renewable energy doesn’t really reduce the use of fossil fuels,” said Michael Gerrard, founder and director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University, who was not involved in the report.

“This report highlights an encouraging step in the opposite direction.”

But in the United States, demand growth has outpaced clean energy generation growth. In the European Union, a slowdown in wind and hydropower generation has contributed to an increase in coal and gas generation, the report said. In both markets, fossil fuel generation and emissions have increased.

Renewable energy sources in the United States face challenges

The U.S. clean energy market faces challenges as President Donald Trump’s administration shifts federal policy away from renewable energy sources and toward boosting coal, oil and gas production. The administration ended Biden-era funding that supported clean energy projects, rescinded the policy underlying climate regulations and halted wind energy development.

At the same time, the administration has lifted barriers to coal mining, granted two years of regulatory relief for coal-fired power plants and other polluting industries, and allocated millions of dollars to these coal plants.

In his speech to the UN General Assembly last month, Trump attacked renewable energy and questioned the validity of the concept of climate change.

Experts warn that Trump’s efforts to block clean energy will have a long-term impact.

“The federal government is dramatically increasing the growth of artificial intelligence, which will dramatically increase demand for electricity, and it is shutting down the cheapest new sources of electricity, wind and solar,” Gerard said. “This will lead to a gap in supply and demand.”

Renewables “still have a chance to make headway in replacing fossil fuels, even with some growth in demand,” said Amanda Smith, chief scientist at research organization Project Drawdown, who was also not involved in the report.

But Smith said: “I’m very cautiously optimistic that renewables can continue to grow and continue to replace fossil fuels in the United States, and I’m even more optimistic globally.”