A new report by Ember shows that 2025 marked a turning point for the global energy system, with clean electricity sources meeting all growth in global power demand and effectively halting the expansion of fossil-based generation.
According to Ember’s latest Global Electricity Review, solar energy played a decisive role. Solar generation alone accounted for 75% of the increase in electricity demand, while solar and wind combined covered almost all of it. As a result, total clean power generation rose slightly faster than demand, leading to a small decline in fossil electricity output.
The report highlights the scale of solar growth. Global solar generation increased by 636 TWh in 2025, up 30% year-on-year, making it one of the fastest-growing energy sources. Over the past decade, solar output has expanded more than tenfold and now matches the total electricity demand of the European Union.
A key shift came from major emerging economies. For the first time this century, fossil electricity generation declined simultaneously in China and India, as rapid growth in renewables outpaced demand. This contributed to a broader global milestone: renewables reached 34% of global electricity generation, overtaking coal’s 33% share for the first time in around a century.
The report also points to the growing role of energy storage. Increased deployment of batteries is helping to balance solar generation throughout the day, supporting more stable and flexible power systems.
Overall, the findings suggest that clean energy is no longer just expanding but beginning to reshape the structure of global electricity systems, with implications for energy security, costs and the pace of decarbonization worldwide.