A global shift toward renewables is gaining momentum—and it might signal the start of a new energy era.
Sheridan, WY, 10 November 2025– The world has faced another year of alarming climate headlines: rising fossil fuel production, political pushback on climate action, and global tensions distracting from environmental goals. Yet, beneath this cloud of concern, a powerful and hopeful trend is emerging—the rapid rise of clean energy.
Across continents, countries are installing wind and solar power faster than ever before. In fact, during the first half of 2025, renewable energy became the world’s largest source of electricity for the first time, surpassing coal. This is a major milestone because electricity production is the biggest driver of global carbon emissions. Cleaner electricity also supports the growth of electric vehicles, helping to reduce pollution from transportation.
This shift is happening because renewables are becoming cheaper, faster to build, and easier to scale than fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. According to recent reports, global renewable power capacity is set to double within the next five years, adding around 4,600 gigawatts of clean energy equal to the total current power capacity of China, Japan, and the European Union combined.
“There is no going back,” says Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, a senior analyst at Ember, a climate-focused research group.
However, experts caution that this progress isn’t enough on its own. Many countries are still using fossil fuels to meet rising energy demand. So while clean energy is growing, global carbon emissions are not yet falling fast enough.
Big Energy Players Are Shifting, But Not Fully Letting Go
Countries with high emissions are leading the renewable surge, even if they haven’t fully moved away from fossil fuels.
China is the clear leader, installing more wind and solar energy in one year than the entire renewable capacity currently operating in the United States. It now has over 1,400 gigawatts of solar and wind installed and continues to expand rapidly.
The United States, despite political disagreements, remains the second-largest builder of new solar power. Businesses and households are choosing renewables because they are affordable and reliable.
India is growing its solar and wind sectors at record speed to power its expanding economy.
The European Union is pushing to generate nearly half of its electricity from renewables by 2030.
Yet, all these regions still rely on fossil fuels—especially during times of high demand or slow renewable output. This means emissions are decreasing too slowly.
The Unexpected Leaders in the Clean Energy Race
Some of the most exciting renewable growth is happening in smaller and developing countries, many of which are eager to avoid the high costs and pollution of fossil fuels.
Nepal now has one of the highest adoption rates of electric vehicles in the world, supported by plentiful hydropower.
Pakistan has seen solar power explode from zero to 30% of its electricity mix in just six years—one of the fastest clean energy transitions ever recorded.
Affordable solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries are many produced in China and helping developing regions skip the fossil fuel era and move straight into clean energy.
But renewables need strong battery storage and power grid systems to ensure steady electricity even when the sun isn’t shining or the wind slows down. This will be the next big challenge.
The Road Ahead
The world is approaching, but has not yet secured, a full clean energy transformation. The momentum is real and accelerating but continued investment, smarter policies, and stronger infrastructure will determine whether the planet moves toward a sustainable energy future.
What’s clear is this: the clean energy revolution has begun.
And once it reaches full speed, the world’s power systems and climate future may look very different.
