Renewable energy sources have generated more electricity than coal for the first time in the first half of 2025, according to a report by climate thinktank Ember. The milestone marks a turning point in the global shift away from fossil fuels, driven by record solar expansion and steady wind growth.
The report found that solar power generation increased by nearly a third compared to the same period in 2024, meeting 83% of the global rise in electricity demand. Wind power grew by just over 7%, enabling renewables to displace fossil fuels for the first time. Małgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, senior electricity analyst at Ember, described it as 'a crucial turning point', noting that solar and wind are now growing fast enough to keep pace with demand growth.
China and India led the surge in renewables, with China adding more renewable capacity than the rest of the world combined. China saw a 2% drop in fossil fuel use, while India's coal and gas use fell by 3.1% and 34% respectively. In contrast, the US and Europe relied more heavily on fossil fuels, with US coal generation rising 17% due to demand outpacing renewables, and EU gas and coal increasing by 14% and 1.1% respectively amid a weather-related slump in wind and hydro.
A separate International Energy Agency (IEA) report projects global renewables could more than double by 2030, with 80% of new capacity from solar. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said China will remain the biggest growth market, with India emerging as second, and solar set to surge in economies like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and several southeast Asian countries.
