Renewables Overtake Coal — A Turning Point for the Planet

At last, amidst a world distracted by conflicts, tariffs, and economic uncertainty, there is positive news that should lift every mind and heart: renewable energy has overtaken coal as the world's leading source of electricity.

- BY DON DE SILVA

This historic first, presented in Ember's Global Electricity Review 2025, launched today, October 7, marks the beginning of a new era in human progress one lit by the clean power of the sun and the wind.

Based in London, Ember is an independent, nonprofit energy think tank that tracks and analyses global electricity data to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to clean power. The Global Electricity Review covers electricity generation in over 200 countries.

Ember's managing director, Phil MacDonald, captures the moment perfectly: "Cleantech, not fossil fuels, is now the driving force of economic development. The era of fossil growth is coming to an end, even in a world of fast-rising demand."

The Numbers Behind the Transformation

In 2024, low-carbon power sources renewables plus nuclear supplied 40.9 percent of global electricity, the highest share since the 1940s. Fossil fuels, once unchallenged, fell below 60 percent of the mix for the first time in eight decades.

Together, solar and wind now produce 15 percent of the world's electricity, surpassing hydropower for the first time. Solar generation has doubled in just three years, racing past 2,000 TWh enough to power the whole of India.

China and India: Giants Turning Green

China was responsible for over half of global solar growth in 2024, meeting 81 percent of its own rise in electricity demand with clean power. The country installed a record 277 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity last year more than triple its 2022 rate and now generates 8.3 percent of its electricity from the sun.