Exclusive-Renewables Grew to Almost 50% of Global Electricity Capacity in 2025 After Solar Boost

Renewables Near 50% of Global Electricity Capacity After Major Solar Boost

Global Surge in Renewable Energy Capacity

By Susanna Twidale

LONDON, March 31 (Reuters) - Renewable power made up almost 50% of the world’s electricity capacity last year after a record increase in solar installations, data from the International Renewable Energy Agency shared exclusively with Reuters showed on Tuesday.

As the Middle Eastern conflict has led to record monthly gains on oil markets, some in industry have lobbied for more investment in fossil fuels, but countries with higher renewable capacity have been insulated from the market shock, some analysts say.

Energy Security and Market Impacts

“The Middle East crisis has, in some ways confirmed dramatically energy security is not something we can be sure of with fossil fuels,” IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera told Reuters.

Global renewable power capacity reached a record 5,149 gigawatts at the end of 2025, up 692 GW from 2024, the data showed.

Solar Power Leads the Charge

Solar Surge is Biggest Contributor

SOLAR SURGE IS BIGGEST CONTRIBUTOR

The growth was led by a leap in solar capacity. which grew by 511 GW in 2025 to 2,392 GW, confirming its position as the world's largest renewable source.

The figures are far greater than the 116 GW growth in fossil fuel power capacity and took the share of renewables in global electricity capacity to 49.4% in 2025, up from 46.3% the year before, the data showed.

Progress Toward Climate Goals

More than 100 countries at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai in 2023 agreed to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 as part of efforts to meet global climate targets and La Camera said last year's additions mean the sector is closer to reaching the target.

"This 700 gigawatts means that we may be quite close in 2030 to the tripling target, not exactly the triple, but very close to it,” he said.

Growth Rates and Other Renewable Sources

Annual Growth Rate Trends

The data shows the annual growth rate in renewable capacity in 2025 rose to 15.5% compared with a growth rate of around 15.1% in 2024.

Renewable groups last year said meeting the target by 2030 would require annual growth of 16.6% from 2025-2030.

Wind Energy and Capacity Factors

Wind Installations

New wind energy installations were 159 GW, taking the total installed capacity to 1,291 GW. 

Understanding Capacity

Capacity is a measure of the amount of power plants are able to produce but they often generate less than capacity if they are taken offline for reasons such as maintenance or refuelling, or in the case of renewables during low wind and sun periods.

Renewables Overtake Coal in Electricity Generation

Data from think tank Ember last year showed renewable energy sources generated more electricity than coal globally for the first time in the first half of 2025. In all, renewables provided 34% of global electricity.

It has yet to publish its full-year data for 2025.

(Reporting by Susanna Twidale; editing by Barbara Lewis)