Last year, for the first time in the modern history of the global electricity system, clean energy production grew faster than global electricity demand.
According to the analysis by the independent think-tank Ember reported by the Financial Times, this overtaking produced a concrete result: in 2025, fossil fuel generation decreased in absolute terms, marking the first contraction since 2020, the year of the pandemic.
It was not just a slowdown, but a real drop of 38 TWh, while solar and wind experienced record growth. Renewables also generated more electricity than coal plants alone, a record never achieved before.
These data indicate that the energy transition is entering a new and more mature phase: it is no longer just a political or climate goal, but is becoming a structural market dynamic, capable of absorbing the entire increase in global demand without the need to continue adding new fossil capacity.
Renewables surpass demand
During 2025, the sum of all energy produced from clean sources – solar, wind, nuclear, geothermal, and biofuels – exceeded the increase in global electricity demand.
This allowed, for the first time since 2020, an effective reduction in production from gas, coal, and oil plants, which fell overall by 38 TWh.
Ember emphasizes that this is an important qualitative shift: renewables no longer just add to the energy mix but are concretely beginning to replace fossil fuels.
Renewables vs. coal: overtaking
Another record set in 2025 is that renewable sources generated more electricity than coal plants alone.
This is the first time this has happened in history. Solar was the main driver of this growth, followed by wind.
According to Ember, this result strengthens the idea that the transition is gaining its own autonomous momentum.
Record numbers
The data on new installations are impressive: in 2025, about 647 GW of new solar capacity and a record 165 GW of wind were added. This additional capacity is enough to cover the electricity needs of about 200 million average Western homes.
On the actual production front, solar generation increased by 636 TWh, more than double the annual electricity consumption of the United Kingdom, wind by 205 TWh, nuclear by 35 TWh, and other low-carbon sources by 11 TWh.
Overall, the growth of clean energy exceeded the 849 TWh increase in global electricity demand.
Key role of China
The Chinese push was decisive. In March 2026 alone, exports of solar panels, batteries, and electric cars reached a record value of $21.9 billion, 70% more than in March 2025.
Overall, in the last twelve months, Beijing has exported green technology worth $200 billion, about 6% of all its exports.
These numbers demonstrate that global demand for clean technologies remains very strong despite geopolitical tensions.
The war in Iran and its consequences on the energy front
The report comes at a delicate moment, marked by the conflict in Iran that has driven up oil and gas prices and pushed some major countries to restart coal plants.
However, Ember believes that in the medium term, the crisis could have a paradoxical effect: further accelerating the development of solar and wind, as governments will seek to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and their continuous price fluctuations.
The challenges that remain
While celebrating progress, the report does not hide current limitations. During daylight hours, solar covers much of the new demand, but at night, consumption peaks are still mainly covered by fossil fuels.
For this reason, generation from traditional sources continues to grow in the evening and nighttime hours in many countries, including India and the United States.
However, Ember highlights that the falling costs of batteries are transforming this technology into a true basic infrastructure, destined to play an increasingly central role in balancing the system.
