Renewable energies overtook global electricity demand last year, led by solar growth in India, China

For the first time in the modern power system, clean power generation growth exceeded total global electricity demand growth in 2025, according to Ember's Gl...

What Happened

For the first time in the modern power system, clean power generation growth exceeded total global electricity demand growth in 2025, according to Ember's Global Electricity Review 2026 published in April 2026.
Clean power generation increased by 887 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2025, surpassing overall global electricity demand growth of 849 TWh — a net surplus of 38 TWh.
Solar power alone met 75% of the net increase in global electricity demand; combined with wind, the two sources accounted for nearly 99% of demand growth.
Solar generation reached a record 2,778 TWh globally in 2025 — a 30% year-on-year increase, up 636 TWh from 2024.
India and China were identified as the primary drivers of the solar expansion; India installed more new solar capacity than the United States for the first time in 2025.
Renewables as a whole reached a 34% share of global electricity generation in 2025, surpassing coal's 33% share for the first time in a century.

Static Topic Bridges

Global Energy Transition and Ember's Annual Review

Ember is an independent climate and energy think tank that publishes the Global Electricity Review annually, providing comprehensive data on power generation, demand, and fuel mix trends across over 80 countries. The review is widely cited by governments, international organizations, and the media as a benchmark for tracking energy transition progress.

Ember's 2026 edition analysed electricity data for the calendar year 2025.
The report tracks electricity generation by fuel type (coal, gas, nuclear, hydro, solar, wind, etc.) and electricity demand across major economies.
The 2025 data marked the first year that clean electricity growth exceeded total demand growth, a threshold described by Ember as a "defining milestone" for the global energy transition.
Solar and wind together added 887 TWh (net of all clean sources), while total electricity demand grew by only 849 TWh.

Connection to this news: The report's headline finding — that renewables now outpace demand growth — signals that the energy system has shifted from a phase of fossil fuel expansion to one where clean sources are actively displacing existing fossil generation.

India's National Solar Mission and Renewable Energy Targets

India's National Solar Mission (NSM), launched in 2010 under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), set progressively escalating targets for solar capacity. The mission has undergone three phases of expansion, and India's solar ambition now sits within the broader framework of the Panchamrit goals announced at COP26 (Glasgow, November 2021).

India's updated NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) target: achieve 500 GW of non-fossil fuel installed electricity capacity by 2030.
India achieved 50% of installed power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources in June 2025 — five years ahead of its NDC target for that benchmark.
Total non-fossil installed capacity reached approximately 262.74 GW (51.5% of total capacity of ~509 GW) as of November 2025.
Solar installed capacity reached 132.85 GW by November 2025 — a 41% increase over 94.17 GW in November 2024.
Wind energy installed capacity reached approximately 54 GW by late 2025.
India's five Panchamrit climate goals include achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, 500 GW clean energy capacity by 2030, and 50% of energy requirements from renewables by 2030.

Connection to this news: India's record solar installation in 2025 — surpassing the United States for the first time — was a key contributor to the global milestone of renewables overtaking demand growth, validating the progress of the NSM and NDC commitments.

Paris Agreement and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

The Paris Agreement (2015), ratified by India in 2016, requires each signatory nation to submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) — pledges to reduce emissions and transition to clean energy. India has submitted two NDCs (2015 and updated in 2022), with enhanced commitments under the Panchamrit framework.

Paris Agreement target: limit global average temperature rise to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.
India's 2022 NDC update targets: 45% reduction in emissions intensity of GDP by 2030 (from 2005 baseline); 50% cumulative installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030.
The 500 GW renewable capacity target by 2030 requires approximately 50 GW of additions per year.
India's solar capacity growth in 2025 (~35 GW net addition) is tracking ahead of the annualized requirement.

Connection to this news: The global renewable overtaking of demand growth is a critical data point demonstrating that NDC targets, if sustained, can bend the emissions trajectory — making the Ember findings directly relevant to international climate negotiations and domestic policy review.

Key Facts & Data

887 TWh: Clean power generation increase in 2025 globally (Ember).
849 TWh: Total global electricity demand growth in 2025 (Ember).
2,778 TWh: Global solar electricity generation in 2025 (30% higher than 2024).
636 TWh: Net increase in solar generation in 2025 — the single largest increment ever recorded for any power source.
75%: Share of net electricity demand growth met by solar alone in 2025.
99%: Share of net demand growth met by solar and wind combined in 2025.
34%: Renewables' share of global electricity generation in 2025 (surpassing coal's 33%).
500 GW: India's non-fossil electricity capacity target by 2030 (NDC commitment).
132.85 GW: India's solar installed capacity as of November 2025.
2070: India's net-zero emissions target year.
COP26 (Glasgow, 2021): Where India's Panchamrit goals were announced.
India installed more new solar capacity than the United States in 2025 — a first.
Both solar and wind are projected to overtake nuclear electricity generation globally in 2026.