Report: Coal No Longer King Of Electricity Worldwide

Coal’s place as the dominant fuel for generating electricity worldwide may have come to an end. Renewables overtook coal for electricity generation in the first half of 2025 for the first time on record.

That’s according to Ember, an energy policy group that supports a transition away from fossil fuels.

In the first six months of the year, renewables generated 34% of global electricity, while coal generated 33%.

Wind and solar alone surpassed coal in U.S. electricity generation last year.

Still, Ember notes that growth in renewable energy did not keep up with rising U.S. electricity demand in the first half of the year. Coal filled the void, with generation rising 17%.

Part of coal’s rise was due to the increased cost of natural gas. Gas has been the dominant fuel for U.S. electricity generation for close to a decade.