Global renewable energy generation surpasses coal for first time
Record solar expansion and steady wind growth driving world’s shift away from fossil fuels in 2025, report finds
Jillian Ambrose
Tue 7 Oct 2025 01.01 CEST
The world’s wind and solar farms have generated more electricity than coal plants for the first time this year, marking a turning point for the global power system, according to research.
A report by the climate thinktank Ember found that in the first six months of 2025, renewable energy outpaced the world’s growing appetite for electricity, leading to a small decline in coal and gas use.
The world generated almost a third more solar power in the first half of the year compared with the same period in 2024, meeting 83% of the global increase in electricity demand. Wind power grew by just over 7%, allowing renewables to displace fossil fuels for the first time.