Renewables overtake coal as world's biggest source of electricity

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🗞️ Driving the news: For the first time in history, renewable energy has overtaken coal as the world’s leading source of electricity, according to new data from global energy think tank Ember
• In the first half of 2025, solar and wind power met 100% of the increase in global electricity demand, helping drive a slight decline in fossil fuel generation
• However, while emerging economies — particularly China and India—are leading the charge, many developed nations, including the US and parts of Europe, have seen setbacks in clean energy growth

🔭 The context: China added more solar and wind capacity than the rest of the world combined, cutting its fossil fuel generation by 2%
• India also managed to reduce coal and gas use amid slower demand growth. By contrast, the US saw electricity demand outpace clean energy expansion, while Europe’s weak wind and hydropower output forced greater reliance on coal and gas
• The International Energy Agency (IEA) has since halved its forecast for US renewable growth this decade, citing the Trump administration’s rollback of green policies

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The shift marks what Ember calls a “crucial turning point” in global decarbonization — proof that renewables can now keep pace with rising energy demand
• Solar power alone met 83% of global electricity growth and is spreading fastest in lower-income nations, where costs have plunged 99.9% since 1975
• Yet regional divides risk slowing progress: while the Global South accelerates solar adoption, fossil fuel dependence in the Global North — particularly in the US — threatens to undermine collective climate goals
• The result is a world moving at two speeds toward clean power

⏭️ What's next: Experts expect solar’s rapid expansion to continue, driven by record-low costs and booming imports across Asia and Africa
• The surge poses new sustainability challenges, including water scarcity linked to solar-powered irrigation in Afghanistan and grid stability concerns in “wind belt” countries like the UK
• China’s clean-tech dominance remains unchallenged, with $20 billion in monthly exports of EVs, batteries, and solar panels reshaping global trade dynamics
• As renewables rise, the question is not whether the energy transition will happen—but who will control it

💬 One quote: "This marks the beginning of a shift where clean power is keeping pace with demand growth." — Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, Senior Analyst, Ember

📈 One stat: Solar power met 83% of global electricity demand growth in the first half of 2025, with 58% of solar generation now coming from lower-income nations

See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance of renewable energy companies like Vestas, Iberdrola, and Adani 

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