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In just 12 months, the planet installed 814 GW of solar and wind energy — enough capacity to generate electricity equivalent to one-seventh of all natural gas burned worldwide
The world has never added so much clean energy in a single year. In 2025, 814 GW of new solar and wind capacity were installed, according to data from the global energy think tank Ember.
The figure represents a 17% increase compared to 2024, when the previous record was 696 GW. This time, solar energy accounted for 647 GW and wind energy for 167 GW.
Therefore, for every gigawatt of wind energy added, the world installed almost four of solar energy.
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What’s most impressive is what these 814 GW can do. According to Ember, the electricity generated by this new capacity — estimated at 1,046 TWh per year — would be enough to replace more than one-seventh of all natural gas generation on the planet.
The numbers behind the record: 4 global terawatts and solar that doubles every 3 years
With the 814 GW added, the total global solar and wind energy capacity reached 4,174 GW — meaning it surpassed the 4 terawatt mark for the first time in history.
To put it in perspective, global solar energy reached 1 terawatt in 2022. Just two years later, in 2024, it had already reached 2 terawatts. Solar energy is doubling every three years for four consecutive cycles.
Furthermore, solar generation grew 31% in the first half of 2025 — a new record. Wind advanced 7.7% in the same period.
- New solar capacity in 2025: 647 GW (+11% vs 2024)
- New wind capacity in 2025: 167 GW (+47% vs 2024)
- Total global accumulated: 4,174 GW (4+ terawatts)
- Annual generation from new capacity: 1,046 TWh
- Equivalence: replaces 1/7 of global natural gas generation
China installed more solar energy alone than the rest of the world combined
When it comes to solar and wind energy, China is in a league of its own. The country accounted for 53% of the entire global increase in solar generation in 2024.
Furthermore, China met 81% of its extra electricity demand with clean sources alone. For comparison, global solar generation in 2025 is equivalent to India’s entire electricity demand.
Globally added solar energy avoided the emission of 1.68 gigatons of CO₂ — a volume equivalent to all emissions from the US electricity sector.
However, innovations in solar panels for apartment balconies show that the solar revolution is not limited to desert megaparks. Distributed generation is also growing rapidly.
For the first time in history, renewables generated more electricity than coal
The first half of 2025 brought a historic milestone. For the first time, renewable sources — solar, wind, hydroelectric, bioenergy, and geothermal — generated more electricity than coal globally.
Combined solar and wind generation grew by more than 400 TWh during the period, exceeding the total growth in global electricity demand.
“This is important because it indicates that fossil fuels no longer need to grow to meet our appetite for electricity,” highlights Ember’s analysis.
In 2024, low-carbon sources already accounted for 40.9% of global electricity generation, up from 39.4% in 2023. Hydroelectric contributed 14.3%, nuclear 9%, wind 8.1%, and solar 6.9%.
New storage technologies, such as sodium-ion batteries 50% cheaper than lithium, promise to further accelerate this transition in the coming years.
The US aims to break its own record in 2026: 86 GW of new clean energy
The United States is not standing still. Developers and operators plan to add 86 GW of new generation capacity in 2026 — a record for the country if achieved.
Solar energy represents 51% of the planned total, with 43.4 GW projected — a 60% increase over the previous year. Battery storage follows, with 24 GW, almost double the record of 15 GW achieved in 2025.
If confirmed, the US will add more solar capacity in 2026 than all the wind capacity installed worldwide in 2024.
Electricity demand grew 4% in 2024, driven by heatwaves, electric vehicles, data centers, and cooling in developing countries.
Despite the record, fossil fuels still dominate — and heatwaves raised emissions
On the other hand, it’s important to contextualize. Despite the renewable milestone, fossil fuels still accounted for more than 50% of global generation in 2024.
Record heatwaves caused a small increase in fossil generation and pushed electricity sector emissions to an all-time high.
Furthermore, nuclear energy’s share fell to its lowest level in 45 years.
The 2025 data is still partial — covering only the first half — and projections depend on countries maintaining the pace of installations.
Still, the trend is unequivocal: the world is adding clean energy faster than demand is growing. For the first time, the energy transition is no longer a promise — it’s a mathematical fact.
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