Ember Analysis: The Impact of Solar and Wind on Global Electricity Production in the First Half of 2025

The latest report from the international energy think tank Ember reveals that, for the first time in history, solar and wind power have overtaken coal in global electricity generation. Based on data covering 93 percent of global electricity demand for the first half of 2025, the analysis shows that strong growth in renewables not only met the rising demand but also reduced the share of fossil fuels in the global energy mix.

Global electricity demand increased by 2.6 percent during the first half of 2025, amounting to an additional 369 terawatt-hours (TWh). However, this entire increase was offset by higher renewable generation, primarily from solar (+306 TWh, a 31 percent increase) and wind (+97 TWh, +7.7 percent). Solar alone accounted for 83% of the total demand growth. At the same time, hydropower production declined, bioenergy slightly decreased, and nuclear power saw a modest increase. Fossil fuels, overall, registered a minor decline of 0.3% in electricity generation.

Solar energy experienced particularly strong growth—an additional 306 TWh increased its share in the global electricity mix from 6.9 percent to 8.8 percent. China was the leading driver of this expansion, contributing 55 percent of the global growth, followed by the United States (14 percent), the EU (12 percent), India (5.6 percent), and Brazil (3.2 percent). At least 29 countries surpassed the 10 percent solar share threshold in their electricity production, while four countries already generate more than a quarter of their electricity from solar sources.

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Thanks to this production surge, renewables have overtaken coal for the first time: total renewable generation reached 5,072 TWh (+7.7 percent), while coal generation dropped to 4,896 TWh. This means that renewables now account for 34.3 percent of global electricity production, whereas coal’s share has fallen to 33.1 percent.

A reduction in coal usage was recorded in both China and India—the two largest developing economies. In the EU, however, coal and gas usage slightly increased due to reduced output from wind, hydro, and bioenergy sources. Meanwhile, in the United States, clean sources could not fully meet the rising demand, resulting in increased fossil fuel-based generation.