REM: Renewables generation to exceed coal next year for first time, says IEA

The amount of electricity generated by renewables worldwide in 2025 is forecast to eclipse the amount generated by coal for the first time, says a new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Renewable sources of electricity are set to expand rapidly this year and next, with their share of global electricity supply forecast to rise from 30% in 2023 to 35% in 2025.

Solar PV alone is expected to meet roughly half of the growth in global electricity demand over 2024 and 2025 – with solar and wind combined meeting as much as three-quarters of the growth, said the report, the IEA’s Electricity Mid-Year Update.

The world’s demand for electricity is rising at its fastest rate in years, driven by robust economic growth, intense heatwaves and increasing uptake of technologies that run on electricity such as EVs and heat pumps, according to the report.