Renewables met all the World's new electricity demand in 2025

[Mike]

Some good news for a change - it seems that the use of fossil fuels for electricity production may finally have plateaued (dropping by -0.2% last year). This from an analysis by Ember that included 2025 data from 91 countries representing 93% of global electricity demand.

 

 

Other highlights:

• Renewables overtook coal generation for the first time in 100 years
• Renewables have overtaken coal in every region except Asia
• Fossil fuel electricity fell in both China and India for the first time this century
• Fossil fuel electricity generation is predicted to decline from the early 2030's
• More solar generation was added in 2025 than could have been generated by the LNG exported through the Strait of Hormuz
• Grid battery storage grew by 46% as its cost fell so much that it can now provide electricity cheaper than building a new gas power plant
• Electric vehicles displaced 1.8 million barrels of oil per day in 2025 (=13% of US oil production), saving more CO2 than emitted by all the UK's power generation
• China accounted for 1/3 of global electricity demand for the first time
• In Australia, grid battery storage set the electricity price during the evening peak (18:00-20:00) 36% of the time (instead of gas & hydro), cutting wholesale prices by 44%

 

[MikeSharp01]

Great to see some good news for a change.

[SteamyTea]

Rather throws a spanner in the works for the anti net zero argument, the ones that goes along the lines of 'why should we pay more when the rest of the world does nothing, and 'the UK emissions are so small they make no difference'.

[JohnMo]

Your thread title is incorrect - renewables didn't meet all the World's new electricity demand in 2025. Renewables met demand growth (which is different) while fossil generation stalls, i.e doesn't grow. The grey section is still fossil fuel generation.

[Beelbeebub]

2 hours ago, JohnMo said:

Your thread title is incorrect - renewables didn't meet all the World's new electricity demand in 2025. Renewables met demand growth (which is different) while fossil generation stalls, i.e doesn't grow. The grey section is still fossil fuel generation.

What is the difference between "new electricity demand" and "demand growth"? 

 

The thread title seems accurate and the same as your description. 

 

"Renewables met demand growth...while fossil generation stalls, i.e doesn't grow. " 

[-rick-]

10 hours ago, Mike said:

• In Australia, grid battery storage set the electricity price during the evening peak (18:00-20:00) 36% of the time (instead of gas & hydro), cutting wholesale prices by 44%

 

That's a pretty stunning change.