Renewables were the world’s largest source of total energy supply growth last year for the first time outside a recession, according to a new Energy Institute report, with solar accounting for 72% of the total.
China delivered another record year for both solar and wind — more than the rest of the world combined — but analysts said it is stockpiling fossil fuels as insurance.
In 2025, US emissions rose 3.2%, four times the growth of China.
Solar’s advance is supported by battery storage, whose average cost plunged 45% in 2025, according to Ember, an energy-focused think tank.
The Iran war has turbocharged these trends as countries seek to reduce their reliance on oil and gas from the Gulf.
