Solar and Wind Power Just Beat Coal Globally for First Time

For the first time in history, solar and wind energy supplied more electricity than coal across the globe last year, marking a turning point in how humanity powers itself.

The numbers tell an incredible story. Countries added more than 600 gigawatts of solar electricity in 2024 alone, with solar and wind generation jumping 109% worldwide. China led the charge, but the growth spanned continents, from Vietnam and Brazil to Kenya and Mozambique.

African nations are leaping straight to renewables as they electrify new regions, skipping fossil fuels entirely. It's the same leap many countries made with mobile phones, bypassing landlines to jump directly to wireless technology.

The economics explain everything. Solar generation costs plummeted 85% between 2010 and 2020, making it cheaper than natural gas or coal. Utility companies now pay just four to eight cents per kilowatt hour for solar electricity, compared to nearly 14 cents for natural gas.

Investment dollars followed the price drop. Clean energy projects attracted $2.2 trillion in 2024, double the $1.1 trillion that went to new fossil fuel developments. That money funded solar panels, wind turbines, battery storage, grid improvements, and electric vehicles.

Even in the United States, where federal policy turned against renewables, the momentum continued. Solar generation jumped 37% last year and wind grew 12%. Renewables provided 24% of all U.S. electricity in 2024.

March 2025 marked another first: renewables supplied more than half of all electricity generated nationwide for an entire month. Solar alone accounted for 85% of all new electricity capacity added to the American grid last year.

The Ripple Effect

This energy transformation creates opportunities far beyond cheaper electricity bills. Countries that relied on imported coal and oil can now generate power locally using sunshine and wind. Remote villages gain access to electricity without waiting for massive infrastructure projects.

The speed of change surprised even renewable energy advocates. What looked impossible 15 years ago became inevitable through pure market forces. Lower costs drove adoption, which increased production scale, which dropped costs further.

Battery storage solved renewables' biggest challenge. Modern batteries store excess solar and wind energy for use when the sun sets or wind stops, adding just pennies to generation costs while making renewable grids reliable around the clock.

The global shift continues accelerating as costs keep falling and technology improves. Clean energy's momentum comes from economic advantage, not just environmental benefits, making it resilient to political headwinds.