The energy think tank Ember stated in the "Global Electricity Review 2026" that by 2025, solar energy alone will cover 75% of the world's new electricity demand, while solar plus wind will cover 99%. The increase in clean power is 887 TWh, with an increase in electricity demand of 849 TWh, and fossil generation declining by 0.2%. This marks the fifth year in this century where fossil generation has not grown.

Solar generation increased by 636 TWh, a year-on-year increase of 30%, the largest absolute increase on record, and the fastest percentage growth in eight years. This increase is roughly equivalent to double the annual electricity consumption of the UK. Global solar generation reached 2778 TWh, surpassing wind generation for the first time. Since 2015, solar output has increased more than tenfold, roughly doubling every three years. New installations totaled 647 GW, an 11% year-on-year increase.

Structurally, renewable energy accounts for 34% of global electricity generation, while coal accounts for 33%. Ember states that this is the first time in modern history, and in about a century, that the share of renewable energy generation has surpassed coal. China contributed more than half of the solar increase, adding 336 TWh; the US added 85 TWh, and the EU added 60 TWh. Wind power was the second largest contributor, increasing by 205 TWh, an 8.2% increase. China's fossil generation decreased by 56 TWh, and India's decreased by 52 TWh, with the two countries still accounting for 42% of global fossil generation. This is the first time in this century that both China and India have seen a decline in fossil generation simultaneously.

Ember's Managing Director Aditya Lolla stated that we have indeed entered an era of clean growth. Peter H. Diamandis echoed this sentiment, stating that solar energy covers about three-quarters of the new electricity demand; clean power covers all demand growth, and fossil generation has not increased. The report did not mention that primary energy for transportation and heating has been replaced.

The demand side continues to rise. Global electricity consumption increased by 2.8%, with the new 849 TWh almost entirely consumed by clean power sources, which is why fossil generation has stagnated in absolute terms, not because demand has stopped. The EU and the US had a slight increase in fossil generation in the first three quarters of the year, which was offset by declines in China and India.

This is a supply replacement, not a disappearance of demand. What is being purchased are photovoltaic modules, inverters, and grid capacity, while the pressure is on the utilization rates of new coal and gas plants. Beneficiaries include Chinese manufacturing and installation chains that contributed more than half of the solar increase, as well as India's grid, which saw its first year-on-year decline in fossil generation; those under pressure are coal plants that rely on growth in electricity output to amortize costs. Clean electricity covers new demand, not existing supply. Coal still accounts for 33%.

Source: Public information