Wind and Solar Met 90% of China's New Energy Demand in 2025
Despite building more coal plants as backup, the world's biggest coal user met nearly all its growing energy needs with renewables last year. It's a sign that the clean energy transition is happening faster than infrastructure planning can keep up.
The world burned slightly less coal in 2025, even as some countries kept coal plants on standby just in case. But here's the breakthrough hidden in the numbers: renewables are winning the race so decisively that new coal plants are sitting idle.
China added massive coal capacity last year, yet its actual coal use dropped by 1.2%. The reason is stunning: wind and solar power met more than 90% of the country's increased energy demand.
"By the time all these coal plants began operating in 2025, cheaper alternatives like solar and wind had undercut them," said Christine Shearer, lead researcher at Global Energy Monitor. These plants were commissioned years ago, before clean energy economics completely shifted.
India told a similar story. The country added coal capacity but also hit a milestone: renewables made up more than half its total power capacity for the first time.
Globally, coal power generation dropped by 0.6% in 2025. The number of countries building or proposing new coal plants fell from 38 to 32, and Latin America now has zero new coal projects in development after Brazil and Honduras pledged to phase out coal entirely.
Europe continues leading the way, with coal representing just 10% of the EU's power capacity. For the first time, wind and solar generated more electricity across the bloc than all fossil fuels combined.
The United States stood out as the only major economy where coal use actually increased, jumping 13% due to policy changes. The federal government ordered five coal plants to keep operating and spent over $600 million extending the life of coal facilities.
The Bright Side
The bigger picture is encouraging. These new coal plants aren't being built because coal is competitive anymore. They're being built as insurance policies against energy disruptions, while the actual growth happens in renewables.
Even energy market disruptions are accelerating the transition. Higher fossil fuel prices are pushing more investment toward clean energy that can't be affected by international conflicts or supply chains.
The market has already moved on, and it's just a matter of infrastructure catching up to economic reality.
More Images
Based on reporting by Mongabay
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
Spread the positivity!
Share this good news with someone who needs it
