Renewables, Led By Solar, Were Largest Source of Energy Supply Growth Globally in 2025

A new global energy report shows renewables, especially solar, drove more of the world's energy growth in 2025 than any other source, the first time that's happened outside of an economic downturn. Solar power alone accounted for 71% of the increase in total energy supply, and solar's share of global electricity generation hit 8.7%, edging past wind for the first time. Fossil fuels still make up the large majority of world energy supply and kept growing too, so global emissions rose slightly, driven mostly by a surge in U.S. emissions tied to AI data centers and current federal energy policy.

The more useful story for a homeowner is what's happening with rooftop and small-scale solar. In Europe, wind and solar now generate more power than coal, gas, and oil combined, cutting the region's exposure to expensive imported fuel. In Pakistan, homeowners and businesses have installed enough of their own solar panels since 2021 that the country now gets 22% of its electricity from solar, up from 3%, largely because panel prices fell and grid power got unreliable and costly.

The pattern shows up in different forms worldwide: as solar equipment gets cheaper, more people are installing it themselves to lock in stable power costs and reduce dependence on utility rates and fossil fuel prices. If you're weighing solar for your own roof, or already considering pairing it with an electric car, this trend is part of why the economics keep tilting in that direction, though what's available and worthwhile depends on your own state's rates and incentives.