How the global power pipeline is taking shape

Global power generation capacity is on track to expand by just over 25% once projects that are currently under construction are completed and steer power onto generation systems and electricity grids.

- Gavin Maguire

Around 1,450 gigawatts (GW) of new power capacity is currently under construction globally, which when complete will lift the world's power capacity footprint from 8,000 GW to nearly 9,500 GW, data from Global Energy Monitor (GEM) shows.

Two-thirds of current projects are from clean energy sources such as solar and wind farms, while coal-fired plants make up the majority of the fossil fuel capacity pipeline.

Regionally, Asia accounts for a vast majority of nearly all planned capacity additions, while the Americas are the location for the second-largest amount of capacity construction currently underway.

Below is a breakdown of the power pipeline currently being built in terms of power source and geography, and how the final power generation mix will be impacted once new projects come online.

Of the roughly 950 GW of clean power capacity being built, solar farms account for the largest share, with around 345 GW of new solar capacity currently under construction.

Hydropower capacity is the next-largest clean power technology being built, with around 267 GW under construction, followed by wind farms with around 251 GW.