For the first time in more than a century, renewable sources of energy generated more global electricity than coal. Data collated by energy think tank Ember shows that electricity from renewable sources accounted for 33.8% of the world’s electricity supply last year. In comparison, coal generated 33.0% of the world’s electricity as output from solar and wind surged, bringing the globe a step closer to achieving its long term emissions goals.
However, Ember notes that even though renewables finally surpassed coal in global electricity generation, fossil-fuels-fired electricity still eclipsed electricity from renewables when other fossil fuels like natural gas were considered. Still, the fact that the global economy drew more electricity from clean sources like solar and wind in 2025 compared to coal is a significant milestone.
Coal has been in use for thousands of years, played an integral role in industrialization, and is primarily used in steel-making and electricity generation, industries that are critical to the global economy.
The last time renewables surpassed coal in electricity generation was in 1919, when the fossil fuel was briefly overshadowed by hydropower before regaining its dominance for more than 100 years. According to Ember, sharp growth in wind and solar generation across the three largest markets in the world, the U.S., China, and Europe, were largely responsible for increased renewable energy generation in 2025.
Both China and Europe have made immense strides in clean energy production, with China dominating the global renewable infrastructure supply chain, while the U.S.’s clean energy industry has faced major challenges as the Trump administration continues to chip away at the renewable energy industry.
Ember’s data showed that renewables generated 10,730 terawatt hours of electricity last year while coal accounted for 10,476 terawatt hours, a small but notable difference. The data illustrates how renewables are becoming increasingly competitive on the global scale, and the ongoing fuel price crisis will most likely encourage more countries to invest in renewable infrastructure to shield them from market volatility in the future.
Additionally, as solar panels, wind turbines, and battery storage become cheaper by the year, markets will have even more incentive to move away from fossil fuels like coal to cleaner alternatives.
Governments worldwide are now investing hundreds of billions of dollars into renewable infrastructure as they seek to fortify their energy supply chains and meet their short- and long-term emission goals. In China and the European Union, these efforts are going relatively well due to policy support from the highest reaches of power.
However, the U.S. is being held back by a Trump administration that seems hell-bent on negating the renewable gains made by the previous Biden administration. Only time will tell if the U.S. will be able to catch up to its main competitors or be left behind as the rest of the world embraces renewables and electrification.
As for-profit companies like Turbo Energy S.A. (NASDAQ: TURB) deepen their footprint in international markets, the uptake of renewables is likely to keep accelerating in the coming years.
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