Renewable electricity meets all new global demand as energy use hits record high
30 June 2026
Global energy demand reached a new record in 2025, while all additional growth in electricity use was met by low-carbon sources for the first time, according to a major annual dataset on world energy.
The findings come from the 75th edition of the Statistical Review of World Energy, published by the Energy Institute in partnership with Ember. It provides a full global picture of energy trends in 2025, showing rising consumption alongside rapid expansion in electricity-based technologies.
Total global energy supply increased by 1.7%, with oil, gas, coal and renewables all reaching record levels for the second year in a row. Renewable energy was the largest contributor to new supply growth, driven mainly by solar power, which accounted for just over 70% of the increase in renewables.
Electricity demand grew faster than overall energy use, rising by 3% as electrification deepened across transport, computing and industry. Demand from data centres, artificial intelligence systems and electric vehicles contributed to this increase, with global data centre consumption reaching 788 TWh, around 40% of which was in the United States.
Low-carbon sources, including renewables and nuclear, met all additional electricity demand over the year. As a result, coal’s role in electricity generation declined globally, and fossil fuel generation fell overall even as total electricity use increased.
Despite the growth in cleaner power, global emissions still rose by 1.1%. The United States recorded a 3.2% increase in emissions, linked to higher coal-fired generation. China’s emissions rose slightly by 0.3%, while India’s increased by 0.9%.
Solar power grew strongly, with global generation rising by 30%. Battery storage capacity increased by 66%, reflecting rapid scaling of flexible energy technologies.
Regional patterns continued to diverge. China expanded wind and solar output to record levels while reducing coal generation. India saw fossil-based generation fall across coal, oil and gas while renewable output rose sharply. In Europe, renewable generation increased but wind output dipped slightly. In the United Kingdom, solar generation rose by 37%. In the United States, solar rose strongly while coal generation also increased, pushing emissions higher.
Oil production continued to shift towards the Americas, which now produce around 20% more oil than the Middle East, reflecting a long-term change in global supply patterns.
Energy Institute president Andy Brown OBE FEI comments:
“In this, the 75th edition of the Statistical Review of World Energy, energy remains at the forefront of the world’s political and economic agenda, shaped by changing priorities on energy security, affordability and sustainability. To satisfy the continued insatiable growth in energy demand, we again see growth in all sources of total energy supply. This rigorous dataset is the cornerstone of understanding how these shifting priorities are shaping our global energy landscape.”
Dr Nick Wayth FEI, chief executive of the Energy Institute:
“This year’s Review shows an energy system at a tipping point: record demand, a historic breakthrough in low-carbon electricity, and sharply diverging regional pathways. We see encouraging substitution of fossil fuels in power, yet global emissions continue to rise and energy security pressures intensify. These findings underline the urgency of accelerating efficiency, electrification and investment in clean technologies worldwide.”
The EI Statistical Review of World Energy 2026 report is available here: https://www.energyinst.org/statistical-review
