In the first half of 2025, wind and solar power plants surpassed coal generation in electricity production, marking the first such occurrence in world history. This conclusion was made by the global energy analytics center Ember in its report, as reported by The Guardian.
Solar energy showed the largest increase, rising by nearly a third compared to the previous year's period. This accounted for 83% of the increase in electricity demand. Wind generation also grew, exceeding 7%. The overall increase in renewable energy sources allowed them to surpass fossil fuels for the first time, leading to a slight reduction in the use of coal and gas globally.
China and India were key players in this process. China led with the largest amount of renewable energy production, reducing fossil fuel use by 2% compared to the previous year. India showed even more significant growth rates, tripling renewable energy production compared to demand growth. This allowed India to significantly decrease its dependence on traditional energy sources.
In 2025, wind and solar power plants generated more electricity than coal power plants, which is a historic event in the energy sector. Renewable energy sources, particularly solar and wind, showed substantial growth, allowing some countries to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and move towards a more sustainable energy future.