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From July 2025 through June 2026, fossil fuels supplied more than half of the world’s electricity—about 57%—while low-carbon sources provided roughly 43%. Coal alone accounted for almost a third of global electricity consumption, and gas supplied about a fifth. Among clean electricity sources, hydropower led with around 14%, followed by solar at 9%, wind at nearly 9%, and nuclear at almost 9%. Biofuels contributed another 2%. These figures show a substantial clean electricity foundation, but fossil fuels still dominate, contributing to climate change and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in The World?

Electricity consumption is growing worldwide, including on a per-person basis. The latest 2026 figure reached a record of about 3,794 kWh per person, up 58 kWh—or roughly 1.6%—from the previous record in 2025. Low-carbon electricity generation also reached a new high of approximately 1,649 kWh per person, increasing by 44 kWh, or about 2.7%, from its 2025 record. This is encouraging: clean electricity generation per person is growing faster than overall electricity consumption per person. Sustaining and accelerating that growth will help meet additional demand from electrification and AI.

Suggestions

To increase low-carbon electricity generation, countries should consider building or expanding both nuclear and solar, supported by stronger grids and faster project delivery. France and Slovakia demonstrate nuclear’s potential, generating roughly two-thirds of their electricity from it; nuclear also supplies more than half in South Carolina and New Hampshire. Solar offers equally compelling examples: it provides about 40% of electricity in North Macedonia, 35% in Nevada, and almost a third in California and Lebanon. Wind offers complementary lessons, supplying nearly 60% in Denmark and Iowa. The world can learn from these achievements by adopting effective deployment approaches suited to local conditions and pursuing multiple clean electricity sources together.

History

The historical figures show several waves of major low-carbon electricity expansion. Nuclear generation rose by about 188 TWh in 1984 and 212 TWh in 1985, followed by a further 291 TWh increase in 1990. Hydropower also recorded substantial gains, adding approximately 377 TWh in 1990 and 196 TWh in 2010. In the early 2020s, wind and solar became prominent drivers of growth: wind added roughly 171–265 TWh annually between 2020 and 2025, while annual solar additions accelerated from about 198 TWh in 2021 to 319 TWh in 2023, 468 TWh in 2024, and 627 TWh in 2025. Hydropower added another 204 TWh in 2024, and the latest 2026 solar figure shows a further gain of around 244 TWh. These achievements demonstrate the scale of clean electricity expansion possible when deployment gathers momentum.