- Renewable energy now accounts for more of the world’s electricity than coal
- They represent 33.8% of electricity production compared to 33% for coal
- Solar energy is a key driver here, as it has met 75% of the growth in global electricity demand.
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Renewable energy has become the largest source of electricity worldwide by 2025, finally overtaking coal in this area, according to a new study.
A report from CarbonBrief contained the revelation made by a think tank called Ember. According to Ember’s calculations in its latest Global Electricity Study, coal-based electricity generation fell 0.2% last year to 33%, while renewables maintained a steady upward trajectory to overtake coal, reaching 33.8%.
Last year, wind and solar power accounted for 99% of the growth in electricity demand (solar power accounted for the majority – 75%, in fact). The International Energy Agency separately said in its Global Energy Review 2026 report that “the absolute increase in solar PV production in 2025 is the largest ever observed, regardless of source.”
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In the past, we have seen the share of fossil energy production decline year by year, but this was due to economic crises or the pandemic, while this is the first time that a transition to clean energy has led to a decline in coal use.
Apparently, record solar production, with a 30% year-over-year increase, was the key factor in allowing renewable energy to take the top spot ahead of coal. Note that this is only energy from coal, which is compared to renewable energy for electricity generation (as opposed to other fossil fuels, such as gas, which are considered separately).
Analysis: The strengths of electric vehicles and solar energy – and the looming threat on the horizon
This is clearly good news, and Ember’s report makes an interesting point that electric vehicles (EVs) are a “structural driver of electricity demand growth”, accounting for around 8% of the increase in global electricity demand last year.
Electric vehicles totaled 66 TWh of growth last year, compared to 36 TWh in 2024, which therefore represents a significant jump, with sales of electric vehicles now representing more than 25% of the automotive market worldwide, notes the think tank.
With the cost of fuel rising, I wouldn’t bet against greater progress, and a recent report in the UK highlighted that electric vehicle sales saw annual growth of 24.2% in March (where diesel and petrol vehicles were down 6.1% and 11.4% respectively).
Aside from electric vehicles, solar power is named as the main driver of renewable energy by Ember: “The accelerated development of solar power is increasingly accompanied by the deployment of battery storage, enabling the next paradigm shift – from daytime solar power to anytime solar power. »
While battery costs have fallen “sharply” over the past two years – by 20% in 2024 and 45% last year, we are told – deployment has increased by 46% and “the world has installed enough battery capacity to shift 14% of new solar generation in 2025 from midday to other times of the day”.
Advances in solar energy apply not just to traditional large-panel panels, but increasingly to gadgets that harness the sun’s energy. Like this solar-powered Windows 11 laptop, or a smart lock with a mini solar panel, which was introduced a few months ago at CES 2026. Solar-powered home security cameras are also becoming more common, offering key benefits in terms of ditching wiring.
These are certainly very small increases in solar energy use, but they all add up to the progress clearly being made in this area.
The potential stain on the landscape amid this positive renewable energy news is the threat posed by AI-driven data center construction – and related energy demands – and how they will be met. It’s a danger that is taken seriously, and in the United States, a recent development is that Maine has even passed new laws banning the construction of sprawling data centers in certain areas.
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