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Report says global renewable energy output has overtaken coal for the very first time.

A report from the think tank Ember revealed that renewable energy sources produced more electricity globally than coal for the first time during the first half 2025. This was due to rapid growth in China, India and other developing countries, the report showed.

Most scientists believe that reducing coal power generation, since it emits twice as much carbon dioxide as the gas-based generation, will help to meet global climate goals.

Ember reported that renewables such as solar and wind power provided 5,072 Terawatt Hours (TWh), or electricity, globally between January to June. This was more than coal's 4,896 terawatt hour supply.

"We're seeing the first signs that a turning point is near," said Malgorzata Motyka. She's a senior analyst for Ember. Solar and wind power are growing at a rate that is fast enough to satisfy the growing demand for electricity in the world.

The global electricity demand increased by 2.6% or 369 TWh during the first half 2025, compared to the same period of 2024. This was more than offset by an increase in solar energy output (306 TWh) and wind power output (97 TWh).

China and India were the main drivers of this shift. The Ember report stated that China, as the largest electricity consumer in the world, has reduced its fossil fuel generation by 2%, while its solar and winds generation have grown by 43%, respectively.

The report shows that India has seen a 29% and 31% increase in wind and solar power generation, respectively. This helped reduce the country's coal and gas consumption by 3.1%.

During the same time period, fossil-fuel production increased in the United States as well as the European Union, due to a stronger demand and a weaker hydro- and wind power output.

The report stated that in the U.S. coal-fired electricity generation increased by 17%, while gas-fired generation decreased by 3.9%, and in Europe, gas-fired energy generation increased by 14%, while coal-fired generation increased by 1.1%.

The climate-change-skeptic U.S. president Donald Trump signed executive orders earlier this year aimed at increasing coal production. Last month, Trump also pledged his support for coal-fired electricity plants.

(source: Reuters)