Renewables grew faster than electricity demand in 2025, pushing coal and oil into decline

A new analysis from Our World in Data shows that low-carbon electricity sources grew faster than global demand in 2025, pushing coal and oil into absolute decline for the first time. Solar and wind accounted for nearly all of the 850 TWh increase in generation, while coal and oil use fell. Gas use ticked up slightly but was more than offset by the drop in coal and oil. This marks a key tipping point: renewables are now displacing fossil fuels rather than just adding to the mix. The article also covers Virginia's return to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a federal appeals court upholding New York's all-electric building law, and China's push to export clean tech to countries hit by energy price shocks. These developments show that despite political headwinds, the shift to low-carbon electricity and electrification continues to accelerate across multiple fronts.