Marking a defining moment in the “historic shift” away from fossil fuels, renewable energy surpassed coal to become the world’s largest source of electricity in the first half of 2025.

The latest report from Ember shows that solar and wind power grew faster than global electricity demand, with solar alone covering 83 percent of the increase and shattering records worldwide. Amidst this global rise, output from renewables overtook coal for the first time on record for the first six months of this year. 

“We are seeing the first signs of a crucial turning point,” Małgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, Senior Electricity Analyst at Ember, said in a statement. “Solar and wind are now growing fast enough to meet the world’s growing appetite for electricity. This marks the beginning of a shift where clean power is keeping pace with demand growth.”

Solar power is growing faster than ever, with a record 31 percent increase in the first half of 2025. China accounted for 55 percent of this growth, followed by the US (14 percent), the EU (12 percent), India (5.6 percent), and Brazil (3.2 percent), while the rest of the world contributed just 9 percent. 

Nevertheless, several countries set new records in terms of solar power. Among the top 20 solar producers, seven nations – including Hungary, Greece, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Spain, Australia, and Germany – generated at least 20 percent of their electricity from solar in the first six months of 2025.