Record renewable capacity: ~700 GW added

Behind the shift in the electricity mix is a construction boom. In 2025 the world installed a record ~692 GW of new renewable capacity, up from 585 GW in 2024, taking total installed renewable power to about 5,149 GW.

Solar leads, wind follows

• Solar added roughly 511 GW in 2025.
• Wind added about 159 GW.
• Together they made up ~96–97% of net additions.
• China alone supplied close to two-thirds of the growth.

Costs are the engine: solar and onshore wind are now the cheapest sources of new electricity in most of the world, which is why deployment keeps setting records year after year.

Fast, but not yet fast enough

At COP28, governments pledged to triple renewable capacity by 2030. Current growth of around 15% a year is impressive but still below the roughly 17% annual pace needed to hit that target. Grid connections, permitting and transmission — not panels or turbines — are now the main bottlenecks.

Why capacity matters

Capacity is the pipeline for future clean electricity. Each gigawatt installed today locks in cheap, zero-carbon generation for decades, which is why IRENA's annual count is one of the clearest forward-looking indicators of the transition.