Global Wind and Solar Project Pipeline Hits Record 4.9 TW in 2025, Driven by Emerging Economies: GEM

The global pipeline of wind and utility-scale solar projects expanded to a record 4.9 terawatts (TW) in 2025, marking an 11% year-on-year growth, according to a new analysis by Global Energy Monitor (GEM). However, the world’s wealthiest economies are no longer leading the clean energy expansion, with growth increasingly concentrated in emerging markets.

Announced, pre-construction, and under-construction wind and utility-scale solar capacity rose from 4.4 TW in 2024 to more than 4.9 TW in 2025, reflecting continued momentum in the global energy transition. Yet, GEM’s findings highlight a clear geographic shift, with emerging economies now driving the bulk of project development.

China emerged as the dominant force, hosting 448 gigawatts (GW) of wind and utility-scale solar projects currently under construction — accounting for nearly half of the global total. The country’s combined operating wind and solar capacity surpassed 1.6 TW in 2025, nearly three times that of the United States and India combined, reinforcing China’s leadership in renewable energy deployment.

Other major contributors include Brazil (401 GW), India (234 GW), and the Philippines (146 GW), all ranking among the world’s top seven countries for prospective wind and solar capacity, signaling the growing role of developing economies in shaping the global clean energy landscape.

In contrast, G7 nations collectively account for just 11% of the world’s prospective wind and utility-scale solar capacity, despite controlling approximately 50% of global wealth. Their combined pipeline has remained largely stagnant at around 520 GW since 2023, highlighting a widening disconnect between climate ambitions and real-world implementation in advanced economies.

Meanwhile, GEM’s Global Solar Power Tracker reported nearly 900 GW of operating distributed solar capacity worldwide, underscoring the growing importance of rooftop and decentralized solar systems in the global energy mix. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that around 42% of existing and planned solar capacity is distributed, making it a crucial component in achieving the global commitment to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030, agreed at COP28. China, India, and Brazil feature prominently among the top countries deploying distributed solar capacity.

Commenting on the findings, Diren Kocakuşak, Research Analyst at Global Energy Monitor, said, “Wind and solar are scaling at breakneck speed, and much of that momentum is coming from countries once seen as energy followers. The question now is whether wealthier countries will close the gap between ambition and execution, or cede leadership in this booming growth sector.”