Renewable energy achieves a new global milestone

Planet Earth recently experienced a historic power move in every sense of the word.

For the first time ever, renewable energy has overtaken coal as the primary source of electricity worldwide, according to a new report from energy think tank Ember.

• The report found renewables were responsible for 34.3% of all global electricity generated in the first half of 2025, boosted by growth in the solar and wind sectors.
• On the flip side, the share of electricity generated from coal fell by 0.6% year-over-year to reach 33.1% of all global production.

New faces lead the charge

Much of the momentum towards renewable energy comes from populous developing nations, with China and India—once among the world’s biggest coal consumers—now ranking as two of the top countries for renewable electricity generation, according to Ember.

• China in particular has been the largest driver, accounting for 55% of global solar generation growth in the first half of this year.

The story is different among Western nations. Electricity demand in the US and Europe has grown faster than renewable projects can come online in recent years, leading many countries to lean more heavily on coal and other fossil fuels.

Looking ahead…Experts say renewable energy’s leap into the #1 spot for electricity generation could be short lived without faster grid upgrades and increased investment, since the ongoing AI tech race will likely force more adoption of fossil fuels to keep pace with the energy-hungry tech.