https://www.theregister.com/2026/04/01/renewables_generated_nearly_half_global_power/

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[science]

Science

21 comment bubble on white

Renewables reached nearly 50% of global electricity capacity last
year

21 comment bubble on white

Cool, but fossil-fuel additions and AI-era power demand still muddy
the climate math

icon Brandon Vigliarolo
Wed 1 Apr 2026 // 16:53 UTC
#
   
  

It was a strong year for renewable power expansion in 2025, with
solar installations helping push renewables to nearly half of global
electricity capacity, but that does not mean the world is yet on pace
to meet its renewable energy commitments.

The International Renewable Energy Agency's (IRENA) 2026 Renewable
Capacity Statistics report, published on Wednesday, found that
renewables dominated new power additions last year, accounting for
85.6 percent of global capacity expansion. Solar, in turn, was the
dominant renewable technology, accounting for nearly three-quarters
of last year's renewable capacity additions.

Those additions totaled 692 GW in 2025, lifting installed renewable
capacity by a record 15.5 percent year over year, IRENA noted. By the
end of last year, renewables accounted for 49.4 percent of global
installed electricity capacity, while variable renewable sources such
as solar and wind represented roughly 35 percent of total capacity. 

[science]

For reference, it was only in 2023 that renewable energy sources
crossed the threshold of generating 30 percent of the world's
electricity.

[science]
[science]

As IRENA notes in a press release, renewable energy is back in the
spotlight amid the US conflict in Iran causing a spike in fuel prices
and energy (i.e., oil) instability. According to IRENA Director
General Francesco La Camera, conflicts like the Iranian mess are a
perfect reason to push for more renewable adoption. 

"A more decentralised energy system, with a growing share of
renewables and more market players, is structurally more resilient,"
La Camera said in a statement. "Countries that invested in the energy
transition are weathering this crisis with less economic damage, as
they boost energy security, resilience and competitiveness."

[science]

Accelerating adoption is all well and good, but IRENA itself still
isn't convinced last year's gains will be enough: Yes, the overall
trend in renewable deployment shows renewables outpacing fossil fuel
expansion, but not entirely. 

Per IRENA's data, that aforementioned 85.6 percent share of new power
capacity additions was actually a decrease from 2024, when renewables
were about 92 percent of global capacity additions. Yes, the share of
total installed power capacity in 2025 rose again, but non-renewable
capacity additions also rebounded sharply last year.

"At the global level, 2025 also saw a sharp rebound in non-renewable
additions, which nearly doubled compared to 2024," IRENA noted. China
led that drive, with 100 GW of non-renewable capacity added last
year, most of which was coal.

  * Renewables blow past nuclear when it comes to cheap datacenter
    juice
  * Trump may hate renewables, but AI datacenters still fancy cheap
    solar
  * US cities are going to struggle to green up their act by 2050
  * Senators want datacenters to come clean on power consumption

If you've been watching the datacenter and AI space, it's no surprise
that non-renewable energy projects have been popular. Natural gas
energy projects nearly tripled in the US last year, putting America
ahead of China when it comes to total gas power projects, while coal
has been seeing a resurgence too. In both cases, you can thank AI
datacenter projects for much of that growth, along with the US
government's policy of promoting AI development over sustainability. 

World leaders pledged at COP28 in 2023 to triple installed renewable
energy capacity to more than 11 TW by 2030. As of the end of 2025,
the world is at 5.15 TW of renewables; along with the push to expand
fossil fuels in recent years, IRENA is worried that goal won't be
reached. 

[science]

"Significant acceleration will be required to meet the goal adopted
at COP28 to triple installed renewable power capacity to more than 11
TW by 2030," the agency concluded. (r)

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