A historic milestone is achieved as renewable energy sources for the first time overtake coal in power generation across the world throughout the first half of 2025. The historic shift puts an end to coal’s century of dominance and marks a fundamental paradigm shift in the way human civilization powers itself across the world.
How solar and wind broke coal’s century reign
The first half of 2025 saw renewable energy providing 5,072 TWh of power and coal providing 4,896 TWh, the first time clean energy has surpassed the fossil fuel that fueled the industrial era. Solar and wind technology spearheaded the shift, their cost declining so precipitously that they’re now the lowest-cost source of new generation in most of the world.
Technology, cost, and momentum formed a cycle that could not be undone, with each successive renewable project making the next one more affordable than the last to install. This was not in a night but years of investment and fast technological change, finally reaching a tipping point at which clean energy expansion could keep pace with increasing global electricity demand without adding extra fossil fuel capacity.
Principal drivers of renewable growth:
- The trajectory of falling costs is making renewables the lowest-cost option in the world
- Technological innovations are enhancing efficiency and dependability
- The scale of manufacturing decreases production costs significantly
Why India and China dominate this energy revolution
China led clean energy growth worldwide during the first half of 2025, adding solar and wind capacity more than the remainder of the world combined while reducing fossil fuel output by two percent. The country’s rapid deployment of renewable power is an example of how new economies are bypassing conventional energy infrastructure to adopt cleaner power sources that bring long-term economic gain.
India’s clean growth exceeded electricity demand by over three times, enabling the substitution of fossil fuel generation instead of just satisfying new demand needs. Both countries demonstrate that economic growth need not rely increasingly on coal, defying the long-held perception of the linkage between economic development and carbon-based sources of energy that has driven industrial growth for decades.
“For over a century, coal and gas fuelled the progress, powered cities and industries. Now, for the first time ever since the industrial revolution, the expansion of electricity is fueled by clean energy” – Raul Miranda, Ember
Regional success stories include:
The transition goes beyond these two titans, with Brazil, Southeast Asia, and Pakistan all witnessing similar renewable growth trends where clean energy development supplants conventional fossil fuel investment in infrastructure.
What does the future of full replacement of fossil fuels look like
In spite of this historical landmark, there are still serious challenges to completely let go of fossil fuels as a means of electricity production worldwide. America and the European Union were both seeing growth in the use of fossil fuels at the same time, with America seeing coal production grow 17 percent as a result of strained winds and hydroelectric production that led utilities to turn to backup generators.
Grid infrastructure limitations pose constraints in which renewable projects from having lengthy connection wait times, unable to let willing investors from bringing clean power online, even with funds and available technology. Storage and grid flexibility remain the main issues as renewable sources provide electricity intermittently rather than a constant baseload power like traditional plants, requiring massive infrastructure expenditure to ensure an assured supply.
The clean energy revolution reached an irreversible tipping point, fundamentally transforming mankind’s relationship with power generation once and forever. While there are always concerns about replacing fossil fuels entirely, this milestone achievement proves that clean energy can meet growing global demand while decreasing costs simultaneously.