• The Canoe Brook floating solar array in the US (AP)

For the first time since the 1940s, clean energy sources supplied more than 40% of the world’s electricity last year, according to new data.

A report by energy think tank Ember attributes the milestone largely to a surge in solar capacity, which has doubled over the past three years. Solar power has maintained its status as the fastest-growing energy source globally for the last 20 years, the report noted.

“Solar power has become the engine of the global energy transition,” said Phil MacDonald, managing director at Ember.

“Paired with battery storage, solar is set to be an unstoppable force. As the fastest-growing and largest source of new electricity, it is critical in meeting the world’s ever-increasing demand for electricity,” MacDonald added.

Despite its rapid expansion, solar still represents a modest portion of the overall energy mix—accounting for nearly 7% of global electricity in 2024. Wind contributed just over 8%, while hydropower, though stable in recent years, continued to lead among renewables with a 14% share.

Clean energy growth set to outpace global demand 

Hydropower, one of the earliest renewable technologies, dominated global electricity production in the 1940s when the world’s power needs were just a fraction—about one-fiftieth—of what they are today.

Ember’s analysis suggests that as solar power continues to grow, clean energy technologies—including wind, hydro, nuclear, and bioenergy—are poised to expand faster than the overall rise in electricity demand. This trajectory could eventually crowd out fossil fuels from the global power system.

The think tank had previously forecast that 2023 would mark the peak of global electricity emissions, following a period of stagnation earlier that year. However, a wave of extreme heat triggered increased demand for air conditioning and refrigeration, pushing fossil fuel electricity use up by 1.4%.

As a result, emissions from the global power sector climbed 1.6% in 2023 to reach a new record high, according to the report, which covers 93% of global electricity generation across 88 countries.

AI and EVs emerge as new drivers of demand

MacDonald noted that while last year’s surge in electricity demand was driven by heat waves, a repeat spike is unlikely in the coming year. Instead, he pointed to a growing shift in what’s driving global power consumption—namely the increasing use of electricity to fuel artificial intelligence, data centres, electric vehicles, and heat pumps.

Together, these technologies were responsible for a 0.7% rise in global electricity demand in 2024, according to Ember’s report, double their contribution just five years ago.

“The world is watching how technologies like AI and EVs will drive electricity demand,” MacDonald said. “It’s clear that booming solar and wind are comfortably set to deliver, and those expecting fossil fuel generation to keep rising will be disappointed.”