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🌅 Renewables Overtook Coal for the First Time Ever
Sunrise Stat
October 13, 2025
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SOURCE
WHAT TO KNOW
Renewable energy sources around the globe generated more electricity than coal for the first time ever in the first half of 2025, marking a turning point for the global energy system. The new report from Ember found solar alone accounted for 83% of the rise in renewables, generating nearly a third more power compared to the same time in 2024.
WHY IT MATTERS
A separate report from the International Energy Agency found global renewables capacity is expected to double by the end of the decade, with solar alone accounting for 80% of the increase. The report predicts the world’s renewable capacity will reach 2.7 times its level in 2022, narrowly missing the U.N.’s target of tripling renewable capacity by 2030. The IEA believes China and India will see the most growth in renewable capacity.
CONNECT THE DOTS
As the world moves ahead with the transition from fossil fuels to renewables— the fastest energy transition on record—both the Ember and IEA reports predict the U.S. will head in the opposite direction while it pursues coal, as the Trump administration seems determined to clawback progress wherever it can. The IEA report predicts U.S. deployments of renewables will fall by 50% compared to last year’s estimates.