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Low-carbon sources met all of 2025’s electricity demand growth - OWID

The roll out of green energy generating capacity continues apace and last year all of the growth in power demand was met by clean energy sources, says Our World in Data.
The roll out of green energy generating capacity continues apace and last year all of the growth in power demand was met by clean energy sources, says Our World in Data.
AfrElec - Africa Power Monitor
AsiaElec - Asia Power
REM - Renewable Energy
Ben Aris in Berlin 6 May 2026

Solar and wind energy have grown quickly in recent years, but global electricity demand has grown faster. So while their share of electricity generation kept rising, it wasn't enough to push fossil fuels into absolute decline.

But in 2025, that changed. According to Ember's Global Electricity Review, low-carbon electricity sources grew faster than demand, pushing some fossil fuels out of the mix.

Global electricity generation increased by around 850 terawatt-hours (TWh) from 2024 to 2025. As you can see in the chart, solar and wind accounted for nearly all of this growth. While the world still burned slightly more gas, this was more than offset by a decline in coal and oil.

To reduce carbon emissions, fossil fuel use needs to keep falling in absolute terms — not just in the power sector but also in other energy and industrial sectors.

This data comes from Ember’s latest global electricity review — you can explore more of this data here.