Last year marked another record year for global renewable energy capacity as it expanded by 692 GW, or 15.5% from 2024, to reach 5,149 GW, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) said today.
The expansion was led by solar with 511 GW of installations, representing a 27.2% increase in global solar capacity from a year ago. Wind energy expanded by 159 GW, or 14%. Last year, the world also added 18.4 GW of hydropower, 3.4 GW of bioenergy, 0.3 GW of geothermal energy, as well as 1.7 GW of off-grid electricity.
IRENA said that as geopolitical tensions are again spotlighting energy, increasing the share of homegrown, low-cost renewables can reduce exposure to international fuel markets.
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