Renewable energy has overtaken coal as the world’s largest source of electricity for the first time, marking a major milestone in the global shift toward cleaner energy, according to new data from energy think tank Ember.
In the first half of this year, record growth in solar and wind power met all of the world’s additional electricity demand and contributed to a slight decline in coal and gas consumption.
Despite the global progress, Ember warned that the transition remains uneven. Developing nations—particularly China—are driving the clean energy boom, while wealthier economies such as the United States and the European Union have increased their dependence on fossil fuels for electricity generation.
A separate report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts this divide will widen. The IEA has halved its projection for U.S. renewable energy growth by 2030, blaming policy changes under President Donald Trump’s administration. The agency now expects the U.S. to add 250 gigawatts (GW) of renewable capacity by the end of the decade—down from a previous forecast of 500 GW.
While coal remains the largest single energy source globally—a position it has held for more than 50 years—the shift represents a symbolic turning point in the evolution of global power generation.
China continues to lead the charge in renewable development, adding more solar and wind capacity than the rest of the world combined. Its clean energy expansion exceeded national electricity demand growth, driving a 2% reduction in fossil fuel use.
India also made notable progress by expanding its solar and wind infrastructure while curbing demand growth, reducing reliance on coal and gas.
By contrast, the United States experienced a rise in electricity demand that outpaced renewable output, forcing greater dependence on fossil fuels. In Europe, weaker wind and hydropower generation similarly pushed utilities to revert to coal and gas to meet consumption needs.
The IEA warned that the policy gap among major economies is widening—while China continues exporting record amounts of clean energy technology, the U.S. has shifted its focus toward bolstering oil and gas exports.
