Climate Action
7 Facts that Show Renewable Energy is Unstoppable
November 19, 2025
Say ‘energy’ or ‘power plant,’ and the mind conjures images of burning coal, roaring engines, belching smokestacks, and towering factories that dominate the skyline. And that’s reasonable: humans have been using coal-powered plants since 1882, and by 2000, there were 1,024 coal-powered generating plants in the United States alone. But by 2017, this number decreased to 359; by 2024, only 219 of them were still operational.
The first step is to establish that something is possible then probability will occur.
Elon Musk
On the other side, renewable energy plants are on the rise. In 2024, we witnessed a global surge in renewable energy, like wind, solar, and geothermal projects. Here are seven critical — and exciting — facts that will make you realize how the tide has turned on energy. A recent United Nations report claimed, a positive tipping point in the future of green energy has been passed. Here’s some facts that show they are right!
1. Most of the new electricity capacity added to the grid worldwide last year was renewable energy.
2024 was a record year for renewable energy, with 92.5% of the world’s new electricity-generating capacity coming from clean sources. This new energy capacity increase, 585 GW, is enough power for the entire United States for 1.28 years! And this growth shows no sign of slowing; it is projected that we’ll be able to produce triple the energy from renewable sources that we do now by 2030.
With 92.5% of new electricity capacity in 2024 coming from renewables, our energy is shifting—and yes, that’s a pun on both electricity and momentum. Meanwhile fossil fuels projects are still being added to the electricity grid around the world, but not at the same rate, only growing about 1% last year.
2. Onshore wind, solar panels, and new hydropower are now the cheapest energy sources in the world.
Just this year, the United Nations and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IREA) collectively claimed that renewable energies are now cheaper than fossil fuels — solar energy, once four times more expensive than fossil fuels, is now 41% cheaper, and offshore wind is 53% cheaper.
These lower costs are seeing many governments incentivizing these cheaper energy generation methods. For instance, if you’re building a new house in Tokyo, the Tokyo government will subsidize the installation of solar panels on your roof, a mandatory requirement for all newly-constructed buildings.
Solar — not so long ago, four times the cost of fossil fuels — is now 41% cheaper. Offshore wind — 53%. And over 90% of new renewables worldwide produced electricity for less than the cheapest new fossil fuel alternative.
António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General
3. 26% of all energy capacity in China is now solar
According to the Chinese National Energy Administration and Climate Energy Finance’s report, as of December 2024, 26% of China’s energy capacity is met by solar power. One of the largest economies in the world, this giant economy has been supporting renewable energy relentlessly. China installed 373 GW of green energy capacity in 2024, capable of powering the United States for 0.81 years, but can only power China itself for 0.36 years.
Growing at this rate, China is projected to install over 3000 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. Based on China’s annual electricity demand in 2025 (estimated at 3900 GW) and a 16% annual increase rate, renewable energy is expected to account for 36.6% of China’s annual capacity demand by 2030.
In China, the world’s largest electricity consumer, renewable energy plants go far beyond small solar panels on rooftops or outdoor facilities. Massive solar farms and wind turbines are generating energy at a scale that rivals—and in some cases exceeds—coal and petroleum power, producing enough electricity to serve billions of people. This includes the world’s biggest solar farm, Ürümqi Solar Farm near Ürümqi in Xinjiang, has a capacity of 3.5 GW and covers about 32,947 acres. According to Rueters, this farm produces around 6.09 billion kWh annually.
If you wanted to power the entire U.S. with solar panels, it would take a fairly small corner of Nevada or Utah… one square mile of batteries… is 1 mile by 1 mile. That’s it.
Elon Musk
4. 33% growth in global solar installation from 2023 to 2024.
According to Solar Power Europe’s May 2025 press release, the global solar installation rate grew by 33% from 2023 to 2024. Not only are China and the US enthusiastically installing solar power plants, but the rest of the world is too installing almost 600 GW more solar electricity capacity than in 2023 — a capacity capable of powering the United States for 1.3 years.
Additionally, if the global adoption of solar power continues to accelerate as it has in China and the U.S., the world could install 1 terawatt (TW) of solar capacity per year by 2030— roughly equal to the total electricity the Earth consumes in three weeks.
Some might argue that this 33% is unrepresentative, as larger countries and certain small countries, such as Paraguay, — which runs entirely on low carbon sources of energy — are skewing the data. Yet, the figure of worldwide solar power capacity has just exceeded 1 TW total in 2022. By 2030, this same capacity can be added every year. The planet is going green, not just a few countries whether some political leaders like it or not.
5. Global sales of electric vehicles have increased by 34 times in the last decade: 500,000 to 17 million (2024).
Electric vehicles (EVs), the most visible consumer-facing product linked to renewable energy, are becoming increasingly common. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), EV sales have grown roughly 34-fold over the past decade, reaching 17 million units in 2024.
EV sales in China increased by almost 40% in 2024, and during the exact same year, EV sales in the EU increased in 14 out of 27 member states in 2024 despite the elimination of EV purchase subsidies in 2023.
However, EVs only count as truly running on renewable energy if they are charged with electricity from clean sources. When powered by renewables, these EVs can displace over 1 million barrels per day of oil consumption per day, showing the importance of pairing electrification with a clean power supply.
You can’t stop the advent of electric cars.
Elon Musk
Petrol vehicles are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, contributing to climate change and causing illnesses and deaths from pollution-related diseases, estimated to cost $820 billion globally in 2021. Switching to EVs can significantly reduce these emissions and the associated health costs, particularly when the electricity used to charge them comes from clean, renewable sources.
However while EVs undoubtedly reduce emissions, they rely on batteries made from rare earth minerals and other critical materials, meaning their production does have environmental and social impacts that make them a better, but not a perfect solution.
A greener Earth is the eventual outcome of this grand EV switch, but it is worth noting that consumers also choose EV vehicles because they have fewer moving parts: as EVs do not have complex internal-combustion engines, fuel lines, tanks, pumps, and more, which make them hopefully, easier to repair.
6. Global investment in renewable energy tops $2 trillion.
The 2025 United Nations Energy Transition Report indicated that in 2024, a total of $2 trillion was invested in renewable energy, fossil fuels by comparison received $800 billion in investment in 2024, in the global market.
For the first time, the world is clearly putting its money where its future is — and that future is renewable!
7. Clean energy created 4.7 million jobs globally.
In 2022, employment numbers in the fossil fuel sector decreased by 1.3 million below pre-pandemic levels. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in 2022, the global energy industry employed 67 million people, with more than half working in the clean energy sector.
These jobs include initial planning and equipment procurement, manufacturing, installation, connection, and ongoing operation and maintenance of renewable energy plants and projects. Even more, these renewable energy-contributing jobs are paid 21% higher than the average salary around the world.
As people make their careers by contributing to a greener world, they are putting themselves in a safer position, both financially and for long term job security. By replacing jobs in the traditional energy sector, renewable energy-related jobs also have the potential to significantly improve public health for workers too. Renewable energy delivers safer jobs, better pay, and a cleaner world for us all.
If you also care about how to make our Earth greener, how to reduce emissions and how to switch to greener energies to root out the problem gradually, sign the Our Power, Our Planet petition to support and demand renewable energy right now.
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