Solar Surpasses Wind In Global Electricity Generation For The First Time
In 2007, nearly two decades ago, I wrote an article called “The Future Is Solar.” At the time, my argument was largely based on efficiency. I had been comparing biofuels with direct solar energy and noted how much more effectively solar panels could capture the sun’s energy than crops could convert it into liquid fuel. Solar was still expensive, storage was a major challenge, and the world’s…
In 2025, solar energy surpassed wind as the leading source of global electricity generation, according to the latest Statistical Review of World Energy. The review revealed that solar power accounted for 8.7% of worldwide electricity generation, while wind contributed 8.4%. Globally, renewables collectively supplied 33.4% of all electricity produced.
Hydroelectric power remained the largest renewable source, generating 13.9% of total electricity. Solar's share of global electricity surged 30.1% in 2025, nearly three times the growth rate of wind (8.2%). China dominated solar production, generating 1,173 TWh, or 42% of the global total, followed by the U.S. at 393 TWh and India at 169 TWh.
Wind generation was led by China at 1,128 TWh, with the U.S. at 469 TWh and Germany at 134 TWh. Although wind production increased 8.2% globally, solar's rapid growth rate made it the fastest-scaling renewable technology. Hydropower, despite growing at a slower pace, still contributed 4,479 TWh, or 13.9%, to global electricity production.
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