Clean power generation grew by 887 terawatt hours in 2025, surpassing the overall global electricity demand growth of 849 terawatt hours, the Ember report stated. 8% and totaling 10,730 terawatt hours. Record growth in solar, especially in China and India, was a driving factor for clean energy sources surpassing the world's strong demand for electricity in 2025.
Solar grew 30% in 2025 and alone met three-quarters of last year's net rise in electricity demand, according to Ember. Solar and wind power generation combined met 99% of the net rise in electricity demand in 2025. Solar overtook wind power globally for the first time in 2025, the report noted.
6% to 63 terawatt hours, Ember reported. 2% in 2025, or 38 terawatt hours, making last year one of only a handful of years without a rise this century. Battery storage grew 46% in 2025 as battery costs fell 45% last year, according to Ember.
The report estimates that enough battery capacity was added in 2025 to shift 14% of the solar generation added from midday to other hours of the day. Ember expects solar and wind to overtake nuclear power in 2026. 3%, according to the IEA's annual Global Energy Review.
The construction sector accounted for 80% of the US electricity demand increase, and data centers alone contributed about half of the entire increase, the IEA reported. A cold winter with almost a 10% increase in heating degree days also helped drive up electricity consumption, the IEA stated. This growth in demand was met primarily by clean energy sources, highlighting a significant shift in the global energy landscape.