H1-2025: Solar and Wind Reduce India’s Fossil Power by 29 TWh, Says Ember

The world’s four largest economies – China, India, the European Union (EU), and the United States (US) – continued to shape the global energy outcome. A similar trend is evident in the fossil fuel and clean energy sector, according to the EMBER report, which found a drop in fossil generation in the first half of 2025 in China and India as clean power growth outpaced demand.

The study showed that, while China remains the leader in clean energy growth by adding more solar and wind than the rest of the world combined. Thereby cutting China’s fossil generation by 2% (-58.7 TWh) in the first half of 2025. Whereas India, in the same period, as per the report, saw an increase in clean sources growth of more than three times the demand growth. However, it explained that the demand was exceptionally low at 1.3% (+12 TWh), compared to the same period last year at 9% (+75 TWh). 

Ember’s new analysis also showed that record solar growth and steady wind expansion are reshaping the global power mix, as renewables overtake coal for the first time on record.

For India, the report credited its record solar and wind expansion to a combination of lower demand, which drove down fossil fuels in the country, with coal falling 3.1% (-22 TWh) and gas 34% (-7.1 TWh).

Contrastingly, Fossil Generation Rose in the US & EU 

In the US, demand growth outpaced clean power, driving up fossil generation.

In the EU, weaker wind and hydro output led to higher gas and coal generation. With half the world already past the peak of fossil generation, Ember finds clean power can keep pace with rising electricity demand, but progress is uneven. In most economies, faster deployment of solar, wind, and batteries could bring benefits.

“We are seeing the first signs of a crucial turning point,” said Małgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, Senior Electricity Analyst at Ember. “Solar and wind are now growing fast enough to meet the world’s growing appetite for electricity. This marks the beginning of a shift where clean power is keeping pace with demand growth.”

H1 2025: Global Power Demand Up 2.6% 

The report also showed an increase in global electricity demand that rose 2.6% in the first half of 2025, adding 369 TWh compared to the same period last year. Solar alone met 83% of the rise, thanks to record generation growth in absolute terms (306 TWh, +31% year-on-year).

It also found solar and wind grew quickly enough to meet rising demand and start to replace fossil generation. It explained that, on the contrary, coal fell by 0.6% (-31 TWh) and gas by 0.2% (-6 TWh), only partly offset by a small rise in other fossil generation, for a total decline of 0.3% (-27 TWh). As a result, global power sector emissions fell by 0.2%.

The report emphasized that renewables generated more power than coal. It stated, "Renewables supplied 5,072 TWh of global electricity, up from 4,709 TWh in the same period in 2024, overtaking coal at 4,896 TWh, down 31 TWh year-on-year."

On the contrary, it found a 0.3% (-27 TWh) drop in fossil fuel generation to be modest but significant, indicating that wind and solar generation are growing quickly enough that, in some circumstances, they can now meet total demand growth. As their exponential rise continues, they are likely to outstrip demand growth for longer and longer periods, cementing the decline of fossil generation.