Renewable Energy to Power Most of World by 2035

The global energy revolution just hit a major milestone, and the timeline is closer than you might think.

Renewable energy will become the world's main source of electricity by 2035, according to Statkraft's latest Green Transition Scenarios report. The study analyzed four different future pathways through 2050, and every single one shows solar and wind power taking the lead within the next decade.

The numbers tell an encouraging story. In Europe, renewables already generate 48% of electricity in 2025, up from just 38% four years earlier. That's a jump of 10 percentage points in less than half a decade, showing how quickly the transformation is accelerating.

Global electricity demand will grow between 50% and 100% by 2050, but here's the surprising part: total energy consumption will actually slow down. Electric vehicles and heat pumps use energy so much more efficiently than their fossil fuel counterparts that we'll need less overall energy even as electricity use climbs.

Chile offers a glimpse of this renewable future in action. Nearly two thirds of the country's electricity now comes from clean sources, with solar and wind accounting for 38% of the national grid. The country's challenge isn't generating renewable power anymore. It's storing and using it effectively, after curtailing over 6,000 gigawatt hours of clean energy in 2025 because the grid couldn't handle it all.

The climate impact looks promising too. Global carbon emissions from energy are approaching their peak right now and could drop between 20% and 56% by 2050, depending on how quickly countries electrify and expand renewables.

The Ripple Effect

This shift means more than just cleaner air. Countries that once depended on energy imports are building homegrown power systems that can't be disrupted by global conflicts or price shocks. The European Union still imports 57% of its energy, but that vulnerability is shrinking as domestic renewables expand.

Industrial competitiveness is getting a green makeover too. Companies are choosing locations based on access to cheap, reliable renewable electricity. Even energy intensive industries like data centers, which could consume up to 9% of Europe's electricity by 2050, are planning around renewable availability.

The technology is advancing faster than the infrastructure to support it. Battery storage costs are falling, grid connections are expanding, and flexibility solutions are making it possible to balance variable solar and wind generation. These aren't future technologies anymore. They're being installed right now.

Maria Teresa González, Statkraft's Chile Country Manager, captured the moment perfectly: countries with strong renewable resources have a once in a generation opportunity to build power systems that are more secure, competitive, and sustainable all at once.

The clean energy transition isn't waiting for anyone, and the winners will be the countries and communities that move fastest.