Signal Solar PV Meets Largest Share of Global Energy Demand Growth in 2025 — First Time in History

Summary

The IEA's Global Energy Review 2026, released in April 2026, found solar PV was the single largest source of global energy demand growth in 2025, meeting more than 25% of the increase, ahead of natural gas at 17% — the first time on record a modern renewable source led global demand growth. Overall global energy demand growth slowed to 1.3%, below the previous decade's average, reflecting slower economic and industrial growth in some regions, lower cooling demand, and efficiency gains. Solar PV generation rose by 600 terawatt-hours in 2025, the largest one-year electricity generation increase by any source outside post-crisis recovery periods, bringing total solar generation to nearly 2,700 TWh and over 8% of global electricity generation. The world added 605 GW of solar PV capacity, up 12% year on year, with China accounting for nearly 61% of additions (368 GW versus 324 GW the prior year). Global electricity demand rose about 3% in 2025, more than twice the rate of overall energy demand growth, which the IEA said reaffirms the world has entered an 'Age of Electricity' driven by industry, EVs, and data centers. Battery storage additions grew about 40% to 108 GW, with lithium-iron-phosphate batteries making up roughly 90% of deployments, even as coal demand rose modestly overall and US coal use grew 10% amid gas-to-coal switching.