In May 2025, renewable energy continued its strong growth in the OECD, producing 358.5 TWh of electricity — slightly surpassing fossil fuels to account for 41.7 percent of total net generation. Year-on-year, renewable electricity output increased by 6.0 percent (+20.2 TWh), reflecting ongoing investment and capacity expansion across wind and solar power. Solar generation led the gains, rising 20.7 percent (+19.0 TWh), while wind generation grew 8.4 percent (+7.0 TWh).
The growth in renewables was particularly pronounced in OECD Europe, where wind output jumped 20.3 percent year-on-year (+7.1 TWh), with Germany (+1.8 TWh), the United Kingdom (+1.6 TWh), and Sweden (+1.1 TWh) contributing significantly. This expansion has helped offset declines in fossil fuel-based generation, such as natural gas (-6.3 percent y-o-y) and coal (-1.3 percent y-o-y), underscoring the transition toward cleaner energy sources.
On a year-to-date basis for the first five months of 2025, total net electricity production in the OECD rose 2.3 percent, with renewable energy remaining the fastest-growing segment. The continued increase in solar and wind generation highlights the accelerating shift toward low-carbon electricity and the growing role of renewable energy in powering the region.
While nuclear power generation edged down 1.0 percent in May, renewable sources maintained their upward trajectory, signaling that sustainable energy is steadily becoming the backbone of the OECD’s electricity mix, IEA said in its Monthly Electricity Statistics.
Global markets
In 2024, low-carbon sources (renewables plus nuclear) accounted for 40.9 percent of global electricity generation, marking the highest share since the 1940s, the latest Ember report said.
Renewable power sources added a record 858 TWh of generation in 2024, a 49 percent increase over the previous record set in 2022.
Solar generation grew by 29 percent in 2024, the highest growth rate in six years, with China contributing over half of this increase.
Regional Highlights:
In China, solar and wind reached nearly 20 percent of total generation.
In United States, solar and wind’s share rose to 16 percent, surpassing coal.
In the European Union, the combined share of solar and wind surpassed that of coal and gas for the first time.
GreentechLead.com News Desk