Ember reports record 814 GW wind & solar added in 2025
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- Ember reports that 814 GW of new wind and solar capacity came online in 2025, a 17% increase from 2024’s 696 GW, raising total global capacity to 4,174 GW.
- Solar accounted for nearly four times as many gigawatts as wind, with 647 GW added in 2025 (up 11% YoY) and total solar capacity reaching almost 2,900 GW.
- Wind installations rose 47% to 167 GW in 2025, up from 113 GW in 2024, bringing cumulative wind capacity to about 1,300 GW.
- Capacity can generate roughly 1,046 TWh annually, enough to displace more than one‑seventh of global gas‑fired power and save about $138 billion in gas import costs each year.
- Wind and solar worldwide have avoided about 330 TWh of gas generation since the start of the US‑Israel war with Iran, averting over $40 billion in potential fuel expenses.
- Kingsmill Bond of Ember says the Middle‑East escalation highlights the risk of imported oil and gas, and that solar, wind, and batteries offer a cheaper, faster, geopolitically independent path to energy security.
Why it matters: Countries that import gas save about $138 billion a year and avoid $40 billion in fuel costs since the Iran‑Israel war, while the rapid renewable build‑out cuts demand for gas‑fired power and reduces exposure to geopolitical price spikes.
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