In 2025, the growth in clean electricity generation surpassed the increase in global electricity demand for the first time. This was driven by record expansion of solar power in China and India. These are the findings of Ember’s Global Electricity Review 2026 report, released on Monday.

According to the report, clean generation grew by 887 terawatt-hours last year, exceeding the overall global increase in electricity demand of 849 terawatt-hours. Solar power, which grew by 30% in 2025, accounted for three-quarters of the net growth in electricity consumption on its own. Together with wind generation, renewables covered 99% of the net increase, writes SFGATE.

China and India Lead the Shift to Renewable Energy

China took the leading position in the world in solar power expansion: it accounted for more than half of the global growth in both solar capacity and generation last year. The country also provided the bulk of the world’s growth in wind power, adding 138 terawatt-hours. In 2025, China became the first country in the world to surpass 1,000 gigawatts of installed solar capacity — a historic milestone, reports Carbon Credits.

India recorded a 24% increase in renewable electricity production. Total output from solar, wind, hydro, and bioenergy sources rose by a record 98 terawatt-hours — exceeding the growth in the country’s domestic electricity consumption, which stood at 49 terawatt-hours, according to the Economic Times citing Ember’s report. Wind and solar alone contributed 75 terawatt-hours to India’s total growth, which, according to the report, signals a structural transformation of the country’s energy mix.

Fossil Fuels Are Losing Ground

The rapid growth of clean energy has led to a decline in electricity generation from fossil fuels in both countries. In India, fossil fuel-based electricity production fell by 3.3%. A similar decline was observed in China, reports Powergen Advancement. Globally, fossil fuel generation decreased by about 0.2% in 2025 — one of the few years this century when no growth was recorded.

The share of renewable energy sources — solar, wind, hydro, and other clean sources — exceeded one-third of the global electricity mix for the first time, reaching 33.8%. World electricity consumption grew by 3% year-on-year in 2025, driven by data centers, the electrification of transport, and rising demand for air conditioning in developing economies.

What Lies Ahead

Despite the achievements, challenges remain. According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) “Electricity 2026” report published in February, global electricity demand is expected to grow by an average of 3.6% per year until 2030, with nearly 80% of the additional consumption coming from emerging economies.

Grid congestion and insufficient energy storage capacity continue to limit the pace of renewable energy deployment in key markets.