Although global electricity demand continues to rise, the growth of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power is driving the world to break free from its dependence on fossil fuels, which are more polluting. The latest data released by the international energy think tank Ember on the 7th local time shows that in the first half of this year, renewable energy surpassed coal to become the world's main source of electricity, which is the first time in history. The think tank called this a "critical turning point".
Enbo's data shows that from January to June this year, renewable energy sources such as solar and wind generated 5072 terawatt hours of electricity worldwide (1 terawatt hour equals 1 billion kilowatt hours), surpassing coal's 4896 terawatt hours. In terms of growth rate, global electricity demand in the first half of 2025 increased by 2.6% year-on-year, or 369 terawatt hours, while solar power generation increased by 306 terawatt hours and wind power generation increased by 97 terawatt hours. Both can already cover the growing electricity demand.
Correspondingly, during the same period, global coal power generation decreased by 0.6%, natural gas power generation decreased by 0.2%, and the overall fossil fuel power generation decreased by 0.3%, resulting in a 0.2% reduction in emissions from the global power industry. This marks the beginning of a shift where the growth of clean electricity is keeping pace with the increase in electricity demand, "said Mortika, Senior Analyst at Enber.
Behind the growth of clean energy, there have been significant changes in the global energy landscape. On the 7th local time, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported that developing countries, especially China, have led the rapid development of clean energy, but wealthier countries including the United States and the European Union are more reliant than ever on fossil fuels that contribute to global warming to generate electricity. Enber's report found that China's newly added renewable energy generation exceeded the sum of the rest of the world, resulting in a 2% decrease in China's fossil fuel usage in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2024. The growth of renewable energy generation in India has also exceeded its electricity demand growth, resulting in a 3.1% and 34% decrease in coal and natural gas usage, respectively. Africa is also experiencing a solar boom, with imports of solar panels increasing by 60% year-on-year in the year ending in June this year.
In contrast, developed countries such as the United States and the European Union have shown the opposite trend. According to a BBC report, in the United States, the demand for electricity is growing faster than the output of clean energy, increasing dependence on fossil fuels. Coal power generation in the first half of the year increased by 17%. The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicted last year that the United States would add 500 gigawatts of renewable energy installed capacity by 2030. But the latest report released by the IEA on Tuesday predicts that due to current US government policies, the growth of renewable energy in the US will be much lower than expected, and the agency has significantly lowered its forecast from last year by 50% to 250 gigawatts. The New York Times reported that the current US government has revoked tax incentives for wind and solar installations, electric vehicles, and other renewable energy projects set by the previous administration, while continuing to crack down on the wind power industry. It has also revoked regulations originally intended to increase the ongoing operating costs of fossil fuel power plants.
In the European Union, wind and hydroelectric power have been weak in recent months, with natural gas and coal power generation increasing by 14% and 1.1% respectively in the first half of the year. It is worth noting that insufficient power infrastructure construction is also one of the factors restricting the use of renewable energy in EU countries. According to Bloomberg on the 8th, the phenomenon of European countries intentionally reducing wind and solar energy output is becoming increasingly common due to the failure to obtain matching investment in power grid construction, and the shutdown costs related to the power grid are ultimately passed on to consumers. According to reports, in the first nine months of this year, European countries have significantly increased their reduction of wind power generation, with Spain, France, and Germany achieving record reductions.
