{"id":989,"date":"2026-04-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/?p=989"},"modified":"2026-04-23T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T00:00:00","slug":"clean-power-meets-all-increases-in-global-electricity-demand-renewable-energy-finally-overtakes-coal-as-the-worlds-main-source-of-electricity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/?p=989","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Clean power meets all increases in global electricity demand&#8217;: Renewable energy finally overtakes coal as the world&#8217;s main source of electricity"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<hr id=\"elk-b4d1db3d-6fa9-466a-9a15-566c0d9b6bcd\"\/>\n<ul id=\"elk-7fc559e1-f4a3-4288-b1cc-3d0f8da5d103\">\n<li><strong>Renewable energy now accounts for more of the world&#8217;s electricity than coal<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>It accounts for 33.8% of electricity generation compared to 33% for coal.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Solar power is meeting 75% of the world&#8217;s electricity demand growth and is a key driver here.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr id=\"elk-ff81afa2-8e71-449f-8e71-170c23da1620\"\/>\n<div class=\"fancy-box\" id=\"elk-9f481c95-9957-40fc-b3a1-7cb2f56a04ef\">\n<p>Sustainability Week 2026<\/p>\n<div class=\"fancy_box_body\">\n<p class=\"fancy-box__body-text\">This article is part of a series of sustainability-themed articles we&#8217;re running to commemorate Earth Day 2026 and promote more sustainable practices. Check out all of our 2026 Sustainability Week content.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-93bd3848-2952-4fdd-af03-7e490a6dea75\">Renewable energy will become the world&#8217;s main source of electricity by 2025, finally overtaking coal in this regard, according to a new study.<\/p>\n<p>CarbonBrief&#8217;s report includes facts published by a think tank called Ember. Based on Ember&#8217;s calculations in the latest World Power Review, coal-fired electricity generation fell by 0.2% last year to 33%, while renewables maintained a steady upward trajectory, narrowly overtaking coal to reach 33.8%.<\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-93bd3848-2952-4fdd-af03-7e490a6dea75-2\">Wind and solar power accounted for 99% of the growth in electricity demand last year (solar PV accounted for the lion&#8217;s share, actually 75%). Separately, the International Energy Agency said in its Global Energy Review 2026 report that &#8220;absolute increases in solar power generation in 2025 will be the largest ever observed for any power plant.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"article-continues-below block py-2 text-sm\">Article continues below <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"inline-block w-2.5 h-2.5 ml-2\" fill=\"currentColor\" preserveaspectratio=\"xMidYMid meet\" viewbox=\"0 0 1000 1000\"><path d=\"M1000 100L500 900 0 100h1000z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold&#10;        \"><\/p>\n<p>            you may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>While there have been previous year-on-year declines in the share of fossil fuel electricity generation, usually due to economic crises or pandemics, this is the first time that the transition to clean power has reduced coal use.<\/p>\n<p>Apparently, record solar power generation, up 30% year-on-year, was a key factor in renewables taking over the top spot from coal. Note that this is only coal-fired power and compared to renewable energy for power generation (as opposed to other fossil fuels such as gas, which are considered separately).<\/p>\n<hr id=\"elk-b7c3ecda-023e-410c-8d3e-ea56064c2e2d\"\/>\n<h2 id=\"analysis-ev-and-solar-highlights-and-the-looming-threat-on-the-horizon-3\">Analysis: Highlights of EV and solar power \u2013 and the looming threats on the horizon<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\" id=\"elk-7eae10ca-112f-4ad6-81da-776026488cd4\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\" style=\"max-width:1527px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"> <picture data-new-v2-image=\"true\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ajyBTKtwqMyXXzWfcnYkvR-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ajyBTKtwqMyXXzWfcnYkvR-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ajyBTKtwqMyXXzWfcnYkvR-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ajyBTKtwqMyXXzWfcnYkvR-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ajyBTKtwqMyXXzWfcnYkvR-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/ajyBTKtwqMyXXzWfcnYkvR-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\"\/>\n<\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: CarbonBrief \/ Ember)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-1170a597-e82d-4c81-acce-89c75aebc873\">This is clearly good news, and the Ember report makes the interesting point that electric vehicles (EVs) are a &#8220;structural driver of electricity demand growth,&#8221; accounting for about 8% of global electricity demand growth last year.<\/p>\n<p>EV growth last year totaled 66 TWh, which is a significant increase compared to 36 TWh in 2024, and EV sales now account for more than 25% of the global car market, the think tank notes.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-JEXY7QwzNj6USQ8RVquEVi\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-JEXY7QwzNj6USQ8RVquEVi slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">Sign up to receive the latest news, reviews, opinions, key technology insights, and more.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>I wouldn&#8217;t bet on an even bigger jump due to rising fuel costs, with a recent report from the UK noting that EV sales rose 24.2% year-on-year in March (diesel and petrol cars were down 6.1% and 11.4% respectively).<\/p>\n<p>Aside from EVs, Enver points to solar power as a key driver of renewable energy, saying: &#8220;Solar power build-up is accelerating in parallel with the introduction of battery storage, enabling the next paradigm shift from daytime solar power to anytime solar power.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>As the cost of batteries has fallen &#8220;precipitously&#8221; over the past two years, to 20% in 2024 and 45% last year, deployment has increased by 46%, and &#8220;the world has installed enough battery capacity to shift 14% of new solar generation in 2025 from midday to other times.&#8221;<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pb-0 pt-2 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 !text-base uppercase sm:text-sm font-bold&#10;        \"><\/p>\n<p>            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Advances in solar power apply not only to traditional large panel arrays, but also to devices that harness power from the sun. Examples include this solar-powered Windows 11 laptop and a smart lock with a mini solar panel that was showcased at CES 2026 a few months ago. Solar-powered home security cameras are also becoming much more common, and offer the important benefit of eliminating wires.<\/p>\n<p>These are certainly very small increases in solar usage, but they all add up in addition to the progress that is clearly being made in this area.<\/p>\n<p>Amid all this positive news about renewable energy, what could potentially taint the situation are the threats posed by the construction of AI-powered data centers, their power needs, and how they will be met. This risk is being taken seriously, and in a recent development in the United States, the state of Maine even passed a new law that effectively bans the construction of sprawling data centers in certain areas.<\/p>\n<hr id=\"elk-486d1aa1-62f6-4b3d-a127-dec582c3e1cf\"\/>\n<div id=\"slice-container-person-JEXY7QwzNj6USQ8RVquEVi-JLtNWT9Nqz8OAbQxpYuKOlINnMFwJ1KV\" class=\"slice-container person-wrapper person-JEXY7QwzNj6USQ8RVquEVi-JLtNWT9Nqz8OAbQxpYuKOlINnMFwJ1KV slice-container-person\">\n<div class=\"person person--separator\">\n<div class=\"person__avatar-block\">\n<figure class=\"image-wrapped__wrapper\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"false\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__widthsetter\" style=\"max-width:none\">\n<div class=\"image-wrapped__aspect-padding\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%\">\n<div style=\"display:contents\"><picture data-hydrate=\"false\"><source class=\"person__avatar image-wrapped__image image__image\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LocVgRosBUWfJzDitFzhKR-140-80.png.webp 140w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Clean-power-meets-all-increases-in-global-electricity-demand-Renewable.png\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Clean-power-meets-all-increases-in-global-electricity-demand-Renewable.png\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Clean-power-meets-all-increases-in-global-electricity-demand-Renewable.png\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\"\/><source class=\"person__avatar image-wrapped__image image__image\" type=\"image\/png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LocVgRosBUWfJzDitFzhKR-140-80.png 140w\" sizes=\"99vw\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Clean-power-meets-all-increases-in-global-electricity-demand-Renewable.png\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Clean-power-meets-all-increases-in-global-electricity-demand-Renewable.png\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Clean-power-meets-all-increases-in-global-electricity-demand-Renewable.png\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Clean-power-meets-all-increases-in-global-electricity-demand-Renewable.png\" alt=\"Apple MacBook Air on a white background\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/LocVgRosBUWfJzDitFzhKR-140-80.png 140w\" sizes=\"99vw\" class=\"person__avatar image-wrapped__image image__image\" loading=\"lazy\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Clean-power-meets-all-increases-in-global-electricity-demand-Renewable.png\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Clean-power-meets-all-increases-in-global-electricity-demand-Renewable.png\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Clean-power-meets-all-increases-in-global-electricity-demand-Renewable.png\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"person__heading\">\n<p><span class=\"person__name\">The best laptop for every budget<\/span><\/p>\n<aside class=\"person__role\">Our top picks based on real-world tests and comparisons<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr id=\"elk-7d84c588-4ebb-4f8a-acaa-71b903faaee5\"\/>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure pull-right inline-layout\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\" style=\"max-width:676px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:31.51%;\"> <picture data-new-v2-image=\"true\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78-676-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78-676-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78-676-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776922347_834_Clean-power-meets-all-increases-in-global-electricity-demand-Renewable.jpg\" alt=\"Google logo on a black background next to the text \"Click to follow TechRadar\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78-676-80.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78-676-80.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78-676-80.jpg 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78-650-80.jpg 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78-480-80.jpg 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/diM9tpwF2Lz85R8q85CT78-320-80.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776922347_834_Clean-power-meets-all-increases-in-global-electricity-demand-Renewable.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776922347_834_Clean-power-meets-all-increases-in-global-electricity-demand-Renewable.jpg\" class=\"pull-rightinline\"\/>\n<\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-3daa67d2-c7fd-4283-b095-442936279afe\"><em\/><em><strong>Follow TechRadar on Google News<\/strong><\/em>    and<em> <\/em><em><strong>Add us as a preferred source<\/strong><\/em><em>    Get expert news, reviews, and opinions in your feed. Be sure to click the follow button!<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Of course, you can also follow TechRadar <\/em><em><strong>YouTube <\/strong><\/em><em>and <\/em><em><strong>TikTok<\/strong><\/em><em>    Check out news, reviews, and unboxings in video format and stay updated regularly. <\/em><em><strong>whatsapp<\/strong><\/em><em>    Too.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr id=\"elk-4c69fd01-58c8-4bbb-a69f-95b677222ad0\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>#Clean #power #meets #increases #global #electricity #demand #Renewable #energy #finally #overtakes #coal #worlds #main #source #electricity<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Renewable energy now accounts for more of the world&#8217;s electricity than coal It accounts for 33.8% of electricity generation compared to 33% for coal. Solar power is meeting 75% of the world&#8217;s electricity demand growth and is a key driver here. Sustainability Week 2026 This article is part of a series of sustainability-themed articles we&#8217;re &#8230; <a title=\"&#8216;Clean power meets all increases in global electricity demand&#8217;: Renewable energy finally overtakes coal as the world&#8217;s main source of electricity\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/?p=989\" aria-label=\"Read more about &#8216;Clean power meets all increases in global electricity demand&#8217;: Renewable energy finally overtakes coal as the world&#8217;s main source of electricity\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":990,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[846,1399,93,2417,518,839,162,2416,253,262,2418,332,693,2419,1592],"class_list":["post-989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-clean","tag-coal","tag-demand","tag-electricity","tag-energy","tag-finally","tag-global","tag-increases","tag-main","tag-meets","tag-overtakes","tag-power","tag-renewable","tag-source","tag-worlds"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/989","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=989"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/989\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}