The 2025 edition of the “Global Electricity Review” report released by the international energy and environment think – tank Ember on April 8 revealed that in 2024, the global share of clean electricity surpassed 40% for the first time, reaching 40.9%, setting a new record since the 1940s. This achievement marks a new phase in the global energy transition, with China contributing more than half of the new clean electricity and becoming a key driver of the global energy transformation.
The report covers electricity data from 215 countries worldwide, including the latest 2024 data from 88 major countries that account for 93% of global electricity demand. It also provides in – depth analysis of 7 countries and regions that together account for 72% of global electricity demand. The data shows that the rapid growth of global clean electricity in 2024 was mainly driven by the expansion of renewable energy, particularly solar energy.
The growth trend of renewable energy is evident. In 2024, global renewable energy generation increased by 858TWh, 49% higher than the previous record of 577TWh set in 2022. Among them, hydropower remains the largest source of clean electricity, accounting for 14.3%, while wind and solar energy account for 8.1% and 6.9% respectively, with their combined share surpassing hydropower for the first time in 2024. Nuclear energy accounted for 9%, reaching its lowest level in 45 years.
Among renewable energy sources, solar energy continued to make significant strides. For the third consecutive year, it became the world’s largest source of new electricity generation and the fastest – growing source of electricity for the 20th consecutive year. In 2024, global solar power generation increased by 474TWh, with total generation accounting for 6.9% of the global total. Compared to 2022, when global solar power generation reached 1TW, it doubled to 2TW in just two years in 2024.
In the global energy transition, China played a pivotal role. In 2024, China’s new solar and wind power generation accounted for 53% and 58% of the global total respectively, far exceeding the combined total of other regions. China’s solar power generation accounted for 8.3% of the global total, more than double the 2021 figure. The growth of China’s clean energy met 81% of the country’s new electricity demand, well above the five – year average of 52%.
Dr. Yang Muyi, a senior energy analyst at Ember, said, “Through decades of sustained policy support, China has led domestic deployment and global production in areas such as solar energy and has now become a leader in the global clean technology revolution.”
“The world needs to realize that clean energy has many potential benefits, but short – term speculation alone cannot fully unlock these benefits. We must transcend the limitations of political cycles and build an ambitious, long – lasting, and stable development framework. China’s experience shows that we need not only to invest in technology but also have the patience and perseverance to turn visions into reality in order to be winners in the race towards a sustainable future,” said Yang.
The report also points out that even in the face of extreme heatwaves leading to a surge in electricity demand, China’s clean energy demonstrated strong resilience, with a coverage rate that could have reached 97% if not for weather impacts.
In fact, the increase in clean energy has also effectively addressed the surge in electricity demand caused by extreme weather. Data shows that due to extreme weather events, global electricity demand increased by nearly one – fifth, resulting in a slight 1.4% rise in fossil fuel – based power generation. Against this backdrop, clean electricity covered 96% of the non – heat – related demand growth, ultimately leading to a similar growth in global fossil fuel – based power generation in 2024 compared to 2023. The report predicts that in the coming years, the growth rate of clean power generation outpacing demand growth is a certainty, and the global situation will be reversed, with fossil fuel – based power generation gradually declining.
Professor Shi Xunpeng, director of the International Society for Energy Transition Studies, said, “Asia is leading the future direction of the global power system, with China and India being the core forces of energy transition. The two countries are meeting their growing power demand through renewable energy, which will reshape the global power industry landscape and accelerate the decline of fossil fuels.”
