On October 10, 2025, the global energy structure reached a historic turning point. According to the latest data report jointly released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the climate think tank Ember, in the first half of 2025, global renewable energy generation surpassed coal generation for the first time, becoming the main source of human power systems. This turning point not only represents the rapid rise of clean energy but also indicates that the global energy transition has entered a new stage. At the core of this change, China’s contribution stands out particularly. Its newly added renewable energy generation has exceeded the total of the rest of the world, driving the reshaping of the global energy landscape.
Report data shows that as of the end of June 2025, the total global power generation from renewable energy sources (including hydropower, wind power, solar power, and bioenergy) reached 5,072 terawatt-hours (TWh), while the power generation from coal during the same period was 4,896 terawatt-hours. This is the first time in human history that the output of green energy sources such as wind power and photovoltaic power has exceeded that of traditional coal-fired power generation. According to Ember’s analysis, this milestone is mainly attributed to the carbon reduction commitments of various governments, the optimization of the power structure, and the rapid decline in the cost of new energy technologies.
In global data, China’s performance is particularly outstanding. The report indicates that in the first half of 2025, China’s newly added installed capacity of wind power and photovoltaic power generation accounted for over 55% of the global total, and the newly added power generation exceeded the total of all countries except China. China is currently the world’s largest market for wind power and photovoltaic power. Its installed photovoltaic capacity has exceeded 700 gigawatts (GW), and its installed wind power capacity has surpassed 480 gigawatts, both setting new historical records. This growth rate has made China the main engine driving the global energy transition.
“The scale and speed of new energy development in China are unprecedented,” said Maria Perez, an energy analyst at Ember, in an interview with Reuters. In the first half of the year alone, the newly installed photovoltaic capacity in China was equivalent to twice the total newly installed renewable energy capacity in the European Union. There is no doubt that China’s energy transition has become a key force in the global carbon neutrality process.
The latest statistics from the International Energy Agency also confirm this trend. The IEA pointed out that China has not only achieved structural optimization on the power generation side but also made substantive breakthroughs in promoting energy storage, grid dispatching, and the construction of hydrogen energy systems. The ultra-high voltage transmission grid across the country enables the electricity from the new energy bases in the western region to be consumed across provinces, providing a fundamental condition for the large-scale integration of renewable energy into the grid. The improvement of these infrastructures has continuously increased the utilization rate of clean energy in China and significantly reduced the rate of wind and solar power curtailment.
Meanwhile, the growth of renewable energy in the United States, India, and EU countries is also ongoing, but the growth rate and scale are far behind those of China. India has become one of the fastest-growing markets thanks to the expansion of solar energy projects. The United States is accelerating its coal phase-out process and plans to completely phase out old coal-fired units by 2030. The European Union, on the other hand, is confronted with challenges such as fluctuating energy prices and aging power grids, and its pace of transformation has relatively slowed down.
Experts believe that this historic “green leap” will have a profound impact on global climate governance. The rise of renewable energy means that the global share of fossil fuels will decline year by year, which helps to slow down the trend of global warming. Ember’s research report indicates that the carbon emissions of the global power industry in the first half of 2025 will decrease by approximately 4.7% compared to the same period in 2024, with more than half of the reduction coming from China’s contribution of clean energy.
However, the global energy transition still faces a series of challenges. Firstly, the volatility and seasonality of renewable energy remain prominent, and it is necessary to stabilize the power supply through energy storage, grid regulation, and intelligent distribution systems. Secondly, the power grid infrastructure in some countries is outdated and unable to fully absorb the newly added wind power and photovoltaic capacity. Secondly, although the proportion of coal is declining, in some developing countries, it remains a “safety bottom line” for power supply and is unlikely to be completely phased out in the short term.
China is also balancing the contradiction between development and security in this process. Despite the rapid expansion of new energy, some regions still retain a small number of coal-fired power projects for peak shaving and ensuring power stability. China’s National Energy Administration recently stated that it will continue to aim for a “new power system with new energy as the main body”, optimize the energy structure, promote the coordinated development of energy storage, hydrogen energy, and smart grids, and ensure a smooth transition in the process of clean energy substitution.
Industry experts generally believe that with the further reduction of technological costs and the continuous strengthening of policy support, 2026 will be a crucial year for renewable energy to fully establish its dominant position. The International Energy Agency pointed out in its forecast that 90% of the world’s new power generation capacity in the next two years will come from renewable energy, and solar and wind energy will remain the main driving forces.
This change not only concerns the adjustment of the power structure but also symbolizes a profound transformation of the global energy governance model. From relying on fossil fuels to relying on clean energy, humanity is gradually entering a new era of low-carbon and sustainability. As China continues to lead in new energy technologies, manufacturing, and infrastructure construction, the world’s energy landscape is being redrawn.
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