Renewable energy is outpacing coal in powering the planet for the first time in recorded history. Solar and wind are leading this conversion to clean energy, according to a fall report from the think tank Ember.
The Ember report shows that, for the first half of this year, renewables grew and coal use declined globally, so that more energy is coming from clean energy sources than from coal. At this point, renewables are providing more than 34 percent of the world’s electricity, while coal is right around 33 percent. Solar is also growing at the steepest rate of any energy source, growing about 31 percent in early 2025.
Senior Electricity Analyst for Ember, Małgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, said, “We are seeing the first signs of a crucial turning point. Solar and wind are now growing fast enough to meet the world’s growing appetite for electricity. This marks the beginning of a shift where clean power is keeping pace with demand growth. As costs of technologies continue to fall, now is the perfect moment to embrace the economic, social and health benefits that come with increased solar, wind and batteries.”
The United States is bucking this global trend, instead using more coal and slowing its pace with solar technology. Ember reports that solar and wind are not keeping pace in this country with electricity demand. The global leader emerging in renewable energy, instead, appears to be China. India is also improving its position on greater renewable energy use.
Analysts writing the Ember report say the data show that fossil fuel demand is nearing its peak worldwide. The company says it collects monthly energy data from more than 70 sources and also has a way to estimate usage. You can read more about it here.
Anne Brock is Marketing Coordinator for Solar Alliance, which provides professional commercial solar services. She can be reached at abrock@solaralliance.com or 865-221-8349.
