This year, global solar and wind power production exceeded electricity demand for the first time in history. renewable energy sources Together, they produce more electricity than coal, according to a new analysis.
Global solar generation grew a record 31% in the first half of the year, while wind generation rose 7.7%, according to a report from energy think tank Ember released Tuesday. Solar and wind power generation combined increased by more than 400 terawatt-hours, more than the increase in overall global demand over the same period, the study authors found.
'Turning point' for global fossil fuel energy
The results show that the world can move away from polluting energy sources – even as electricity demand soars – with continued investment in renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, hydropower, bioenergy and geothermal energy.
“This means they will be able to keep up with the growing demand for electricity around the world,” said Małgorzata Wiatros-Motika, senior energy analyst at Ember and lead author of the study.
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At the same time, total fossil fuel production fell slightly, by less than 1%.
“The overall decline in fossils may be small, but it is significant,” Viatros-Motika said. “This is a turning point where we see emissions stabilizing.”
The firm analyzes monthly data from 88 countries representing the vast majority of electricity demand worldwide. Reasons for rising demand include economic growth, electric vehicles and data centers, population growth in developing countries and need for more cooling as temperatures rise.
Meeting this demand by burning fossil fuels such as coal and gas to produce electricity releases planet-warming gases including carbon dioxide and methane. This leads to more severe, costly and deadly extreme weather conditions.
China and India are leading the transition to green energy
Amber also devoted part of his report to an analysis of China, India, the European Union and the United States, which together account for nearly two-thirds of electricity production and energy sector carbon emissions worldwide.
In the first six months of the year, China added more solar and wind power than the rest of the world combined, while fossil fuel production fell 2%, the report said.
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India has seen record growth in solar and wind power, outpacing demand growth. Fossil fuel production in India has also declined.
In both countries, emissions fell.
“Analysts often say that renewable energy does not actually reduce fossil fuel use,” said Michael Gerrard, founder and director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University, who was not involved in the report. “This report highlights an encouraging step in the opposite direction.”
US and Europe see growth in fossil fuel power generation
In the US, growth in demand has outpaced growth in clean energy production. In the EU, sluggish wind and hydropower output has contributed to increased coal and gas output, the report said. Fossil fuel production and emissions have increased in both markets.
US Clean Energy Market Faces Challenges in Presidency Trump administration changes federal policy from renewable energy sources to increased production of coal, oil and gas. The administration has ended Biden-era funding that supported clean energy projects, rolled back policies underlying climate-related regulations and halted wind energy development.
Just last week, the Trump administration announced it would cancel $8 billion worth of climate-related projects in 16 Democratic-run states as funding cuts announced amid federal government shutdown.
Russ Vought, head of the Office of Management and Budget, announced the cancellation on social media and said the Energy Department would provide more information. All states affected by the cuts voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, and all are represented by Democrats in the Senate.
Meanwhile, the administration removed barriers to coal mining, granted a two-year regulatory deferment to coal-fired power plants and other polluting industries, and provided millions of dollars to those coal-fired power plants.
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In his speech to the UN General Assembly last month, Mr. Trump attacked renewable energy and questioned the validity of the concept of climate change.
Experts warn Trump's efforts to block clean energy will have long-term consequences.
“The federal government is significantly accelerating the development of artificial intelligence, which will lead to a significant increase in electricity demand, and also closes cheapest new sources of electricitywind and solar. This will create a supply-demand gap,” Gerrard said.
Renewables “still have the potential to displace fossil fuels, even with some demand growth,” said Amanda Smith, a senior fellow at research organization Project Drawdown, who also was not involved in the report.
Smith said that while she remains “very cautiously optimistic that renewables can continue to grow and displace fossil fuels in the U.S., I'm more optimistic on a global scale.”
