Renewable Energy sources generated more electricity and coal globally for the first time in the first half of 2025, driven by rapid growth in China and India, a report by the energy think tank Ember showed on Tuesday.
Curbing coal-fired power generation—which emits roughly twice as much carbon dioxide as gas—is widely regarded by scientists as critical to meeting global climate targets.
According to Ember, renewables such as wind and solar supplied 5,072 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity worldwide between January and June, surpassing coal’s 4,896 TWh during the same period.
“We are 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 increasing appetite for electricity.”
Global electricity demand rose by 2.6%, or 369 TWh, in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. This growth was more than met by a 306 TWh increase in solar power and a 97 TWh increase in wind output.
The shift to renewables was driven largely by China and India. China, the world’s largest electricity consumer, cut fossil-fuel generation by 2%, while its solar and wind generation grew by 43% and 16%, respectively, according to Ember.
In India, wind and solar generation rose by 29% and 31%, respectively, helping reduce coal and gas use by 3.1%.
However, fossil-fuel generation increased in both the United States and the European Union during the same period. Stronger demand growth, coupled with weaker wind and hydropower output, led to greater reliance on coal and gas.
In the U.S., coal generation rose by 17%, while gas generation fell by 3.9%. In Europe, gas-fired power generation grew by 14% and coal by 1.1%, the report noted.
U.S. President Donald Trump, a known climate-change skeptic, earlier this year signed executive orders aimed at boosting coal production and last month also pledged support for coal-fired power plants.
Reuters
