Solar to dominate energy by 2035, but AI data centers will keep fossil fuels in business
Get the Energy newsletter
Daily energy & climate — solar, EVs, oil, the policy fights and tech bets shaping the transition. Free.
- BloombergNEF projects solar will overtake coal, oil and natural gas as the world’s largest power source by 2035.
- Data centers are forecast to add 1 TW of utility‑scale solar, 400 GW of solar, 370 GW of natural gas and 110 GW of coal, yet fossil fuels will still supply 51 % of their incremental generation by 2050.
- Solar panel prices are expected to fall another 30 % by 2035, making solar cheaper than coal and gas and enabling it to generate more than twice the electricity of natural gas by 2050.
- Pakistan installed 25 GW of solar capacity in the past two years after natural‑gas prices spiked following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- Google invested $1 billion in 100‑hour batteries from Form Energy, while geothermal firm Fervo Energy and nuclear startup X‑energy went public, highlighting alternatives to fossil fuels for data‑center power.
Why it matters: Data‑center owners will lock in 51 % of new power from natural gas and coal through 2050, preserving fossil‑fuel markets, while solar developers capture a 30 % price drop and double the electricity output of gas by 2050.
Ask SkimNews
