Global Energy 2025: Clean Sources Drive Nearly 60% Growth As Solar PV Contributes Over 25% Demand Increase – IEA

Global energy trends in 2025 showed a clear shift toward cleaner sources, marking what many are calling the beginning of the “Age of Electricity.” Low-emission technologies played a major role in meeting new energy demand, even as overall growth slowed. Global energy demand increased by 1.3% in 2025, compared to 2% in 2024. This slower growth was mainly due to better energy efficiency, slower economic activity in some sectors, and milder weather in several regions, which reduced the need for cooling.

One of the most important developments was the rise of solar power. Solar PV became the largest single contributor to global energy demand growth, meeting more than 25% of the increase. This was the first time a modern renewable energy source led global energy growth. When combined with wind, nuclear, and hydropower, low-emission energy sources accounted for nearly 60% of the total growth in energy demand. This highlights the growing importance of clean energy in the global energy mix.

Electricity demand increased much faster than overall energy demand, growing at more than twice the rate. This reflects the ongoing electrification of the global economy. While sectors like data centers and electric vehicles (EVs) saw rapid expansion, traditional uses in buildings and industries still made up the largest share of electricity demand. In the United States, data centers alone contributed to about half of the increase in electricity demand. At the same time, EV sales grew strongly, rising by more than 20% and crossing 20 million units. EVs made up around one-fourth of all new car sales worldwide.

Fossil fuel trends varied across regions. Global coal demand increased slightly by 0.4%, but there were notable changes in major economies. For the first time in about 50 years, both China and India saw a decline in coal-based power generation at the same time. In China, this was driven by a large increase in renewable energy capacity and a shift away from heavy industries that consume large amounts of energy. As a result, China also recorded a drop in its overall carbon dioxide emissions. On the other hand, the United States saw strong energy demand growth, partly due to a harsh winter. There was also a temporary shift from natural gas to coal in power generation.

Environmental impacts showed some positive signs. The growth in global CO2 emissions slowed to just 0.4%, mainly because of the increasing use of clean energy. Since 2019, the expansion of solar, wind, nuclear power, electric vehicles, and heat pumps has helped avoid about 3 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. This is equal to around 8% of total global emissions. However, some challenges remained. For example, droughts in parts of Europe reduced hydropower output, showing how weather can still affect clean energy supply.

Overall, the continued growth of clean energy technologies is helping reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Even though demand for all energy sources is still rising, the faster growth of low-emission options is moving the global energy sector toward a more sustainable and cleaner future.