For the first time since the 1940s, clean power sources accounted for over 40% of the world’s electricity demands last year, marking a significant milestone in the global energy landscape. This remarkable achievement has been highlighted in a recent report from the energy think tank Ember, which emphasizes the rapid expansion of renewable energy technologies, particularly solar power.

The report reveals that solar power capacity has more than doubled in just the past three years, establishing itself as an undeniable driver of the energy transition. In fact, solar farms have consistently been the fastest-growing source of energy across the globe for two continuous decades. Phil MacDonald, Ember’s managing director, acknowledged this pivotal shift by stating, “Solar power has become the engine of the global energy transition. Paired with battery storage, solar is set to be an unstoppable force. As the fastest-growing and largest source of new electricity, it is critical in meeting the world's ever-increasing demand for electricity.”

Despite this growth, solar power still represents a relatively modest portion of the global energy mix, contributing nearly 7% of the world’s electricity last year. In comparison, wind power accounted for just over 8%. Both of these emerging renewable sources, while impressive, remain overshadowed by hydro power, which has maintained its steady output and constituted 14% of the world's electricity in 2024. Hydro power, one of the earliest forms of renewable energy technology, has played a dominant role in the global energy system since the 1940s when it generated a significant share of electricity at a time when the power system was approximately 50 times smaller than today.

As the growth trajectory of solar power continues, it is projected that clean energy—including nuclear and bioenergy—will expand at a pace that outstrips the increasing global electricity demand. Ember's analysis suggests this trend may signal the gradual reduction of fossil fuels in the energy mix. In previous forecasts, Ember indicated that 2023 could be the peak year for emissions from electricity, especially after a plateau observed in the first half of the year.

However, climate experts were concerned that extreme weather conditions, such as the heatwaves experienced around the globe, would lead to an uptick in electricity consumption due to increased reliance on air conditioning and refrigeration. This resulted in a 1.4% growth in fossil fuel electricity generation during the year.

The report, which surveyed 93% of the global electricity market across 88 countries, found that the surge in demand contributed to a 1.6% rise in emissions from the global power sector, reaching an unprecedented peak last year. MacDonald expressed skepticism about whether heatwaves would trigger a similar spike in demand in the coming year. Instead, he pointed to the growing need for electricity to support emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, data centers, electric vehicles, and heat pumps as key factors that would influence global electricity consumption going forward.

These technologies collectively accounted for a 0.7% increase in global electricity demand in 2024, a steep rise compared to their contribution five years ago. MacDonald noted, “The world is watching how technologies like AI and EVs will drive electricity demand. It’s clear that booming solar and wind are comfortably set to deliver, and those expecting fossil fuel generation to keep rising will be disappointed.”