Global Renewable Energy Capacity Surges 50% in 2025, IEA Reports
The International Energy Agency reports that global renewable energy additions reached 510 GW in 2025, a 50% year-on-year increase, driven by record solar installations in China and the United States.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) today released its annual Renewable Energy Market Report, revealing that the world added 510 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity in 2025 — a 50% increase compared to 2024 and the largest annual addition on record. Solar PV accounted for nearly 75% of the growth, with China alone installing 280 GW of new solar capacity.
The report highlights that the United States saw its renewable capacity grow by 42 GW, supported by the Inflation Reduction Act's tax incentives. India also reached a milestone, adding 25 GW of renewable capacity, positioning it as the third-largest market globally. The IEA now projects that renewables will overtake coal as the largest source of electricity generation by early 2027.
Despite this progress, the agency warned that grid bottlenecks and permitting delays remain significant barriers. Fatih Birol, IEA Executive Director, called on governments to accelerate investments in transmission infrastructure to fully unlock the potential of renewable energy deployment.
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