By 2025, a major news story has emerged: for the first time, global electricity generated by wind and solar power will surpass that generated by coal.

This isn't just hearsay; it's stated in a report by the climate think tank Ember, which says the global power system has finally ushered in a historic turning point.

To be honest, I always thought clean energy would take another ten or eight years to catch up with fossil fuels, but I didn't expect it to break through this 2025 barrier so early, which is quite surprising.

Ember's report also mentions that in the first half of 2025, the growth rate of renewable energy generation exceeded the increase in global electricity demand for the first time.

Therefore, the use of coal and natural gas both decreased slightly.

Solar power performed the best, generating nearly one-third more electricity in the first half of the year than in the same period of 2024. More than 80% of the new global electricity demand was met by solar power.

Wind power fared similarly, with generation increasing by more than 7%.

These two factors combined have effectively dethroned fossil fuels from their position as the "primary source of electricity."

Margozata Viatros-Motica, a senior power analyst at Ember, described this as a landmark "key turning point." She added that the current pace of development in solar and wind power is sufficient to meet some of the growth in global electricity demand, marking a new stage where clean energy can finally "keep up with demand."

I think this makes a lot of sense. Previously, I was worried that no matter how much clean energy was available, it wouldn't be enough. But now it seems that, at least in terms of growth, it can keep up.