Nicolas Fulghum

More than 5% isn't possible...more than 10% isn't possible...

Solar was already at 8.8% of GLOBAL electricity generation in the first half of 2025, more than doubling since 2021 (3.8%). ☀️

I guess 30% is the new limit??

🇭🇺Hungary: 29.7%
🇬🇷Greece: 26.3%
🇳🇱Netherlands: 25.7%

Global Electricity Mid-Year Insights 2025 | Ember Solar and wind outpaced demand growth in the first half of 2025, as renewables overtook coal’s share in the global electricity mix.

You can read the full @ember-energy.org report on global electricity generation in the first half of 2025 out today: ember-energy.org/latest-insig...

However, even periods of low demand growth would have not led to substantial fossil fuel falls in the past in India.

The difference now? Record growth in wind and solar generation.

The slow demand growth was caused by temperature differences between 2025 and 2024.

2024 saw record heatwaves push up cooling demand, but 2025 has been much milder. This moderated demand growth, sometimes even dropping below 2024 levels, a rare sight in India's steadily growing power sector.

In India, record solar and wind growth combined with favourable hydro conditions to drive fossil generation down substantially. However, electricity demand increased by just 1.3% compared to a 9% increase in H1-2024.

The first half of 2025 is the continuation of a flattening out of fossil generation in China.

Fossil power has plateaued since early 2024 as solar and wind have been matching or growing faster than electricity demand.

The fall in fossil generation in India and China had slightly different reasons.

In China, low-carbon power growth from solar, wind (and some nuclear) was higher than the increase in electricity demand, despite a small fall in hydro generation. This led to a decline in coal.

The continued rapid growth of solar generation meant that renewables overtook coal for the first time.

Coal generation dipped slightly compared to the first half of 2024, with renewables continuing to grow.

On a global level, wind and solar met and exceeded the growth in electricity demand, particularly as a result of record breaking solar growth.

A fall in hydro negated some of the growth in solar, wind and nuclear, but fossil fuels still saw a small decline.

NEW | Electricity generation from fossil fuels fell in China and India in the first half of 2025 🔥📉

This marks a reversal from previous trends.

Simultaneously, there was a small uptick in the US and in the EU.

A thread 🧵

China's Solar PV Export Explorer | Ember The latest solar PV export data from the world's largest exporter, China, by country or region of destination. Data updated on a monthly basis.

You can find data for actual GW exports for solar power in our existing, dedicated solar PV export tool ember-energy.org/data/chinas-...

China Cleantech Exports Data Explorer | Ember A tool to uncover insights from the latest clean technology export data from China, including solar PV, batteries and electric vehicles. Explore by electrotech type, country or region.

Check out the "China Cleantech Exports Data Explorer" out today and explore all the data yourself.

Fantastic work by my colleagues @euangraham.bsky.social and @libbycopsey.bsky.social

ember-energy.org/data/china-c...

The new data explorer also includes a full breakdown of every technology by country.

Despite the cost declines, the value of battery exports is higher than ever🔋

In fact, solar module exports reached a record high in August according to our existing tracking of GW exports for cells, panels and wafers.

At the same time, the value of solar PV exports peaked in early 2023 as our new tool shows.

The increase in export value is even more impressive considering the substantial fall in costs for some clean technologies like batteries and solar modules.

For EVs, emerging markets like ASEAN or the Middle East are becoming increasingly important.

EV and battery exports are the biggest drivers of the growth in export value. In the last 12 months, China exported $76bn of batteries and $57bn of EVs.

The export value of batteries is 4x higher than in 2020, the value of EV exports has grown 10x.

NEW DATA | China's exports of clean technologies exceeded 20 billion USD for the first time in August📈

We just published a new @ember-energy.org data tool to track exports of EVs, batteries, gridtech etc. on top of our existing tracking of solar exports.

🧵

It's astonishing how wide the battery curve has gotten in California.

Last Tuesday, batteries consistently supplied more than 20% of demand for 4 hours from 6pm to 10pm.

Price signals are working well.

Electricity Data Explorer | Ember Explore national and state level fossil and renewable electricity generation and carbon emissions data for the United States

Get the latest @ember-energy.org data out now in our Electricity Data Explorer ember-energy.org/data/electri...

Generation from fossil fuels saw a small increase of 3 TWh (+1.3%). Slightly lower wind and hydro power were partially offset by increased nuclear output.

Demand growth also continued.

US electricity demand reached 378 TWh, a 2.4% (9 TWh) increase over September 2024.

In 2025, demand has been consistently higher than in 2024 on top of already strong growth of 3% across 2024.

September continued a stellar year for solar power, with an increase of 8.6 TWh (+31%) compared to September 2024.

NEW DATA | US solar power surpasses 2024 full year output in September 🇺🇸☀️

With three months left in 2025, solar generation reached 310 TWh, already surpassing the 2024 total of 302 TWh.

Solar generation is up 30% in 2025 so far.

Not from an Ember report, just from me

The reason for the big reduction in hours where fossil fuels determine the price is Spain's wind and solar build out.

From H1-2019 to H1-2025, wind and solar's share of demand grew from 27% to 46%.

Decoupled: how Spain cut the link between gas and power prices using renewables | Ember Spain has some of the lowest wholesale electricity prices in Europe, largely owing to the country’s strong solar and wind growth which reduced the influence of expensive coal and gas power on the elec...

Check out the full report by my colleagues Chris Rosslowe and Beatrice Petrovich out today: ember-energy.org/latest-insig...

The reduction in hours where prices are determined by gas costs has protected Spain from the rise in gas prices.

Other countries with higher reliance on gas and fossil fuels as a whole, like Italy or the UK, have seen their electricity price increase substantially since 2019.

NEW ANALYSIS | Spain is successfully decoupling electricity prices from gas power costs 🇪🇸⚡️

Spain reduced the number of hours where electricity prices exceed gas costs by 75% since 2019.

As a result, Spain's electricity prices were 32% lower than the EU average in H1-2025.