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From October 2025 through September 2026, fossil fuels supplied more than half of the world’s electricity consumption, at about 56%, while low-carbon sources provided almost 44%. Coal remained the largest source, accounting for roughly a third of electricity, followed by gas at about 21%. Among clean electricity sources, hydropower contributed around 14%, solar nearly 10%, and wind and nuclear about 9% each. Biofuels supplied just under 2%. This means clean electricity already meets a substantial share of global consumption, 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 3,853 kWh per person, exceeding the previous record of 3,767 kWh in 2025 by 86 kWh, or about 2%. Low-carbon electricity generation grew even faster, reaching 1,680 kWh per person compared with the previous record of 1,611 kWh in 2025—an increase of 69 kWh, or around 4%. These new records are encouraging: expanding clean electricity is essential to support electrification and growing demand from AI while reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

Suggestions

To accelerate low-carbon electricity generation, countries should consider building or expanding both nuclear and solar, drawing lessons from regions where these sources already provide substantial shares of electricity. Nuclear supplies about two-thirds of electricity in France and Slovakia, demonstrating the scale it can achieve. Solar provides 40% in North Macedonia, roughly a third in Nevada, and 30% in California, offering useful examples for accelerating deployment. Wind also makes a major contribution, supplying nearly 60% in Denmark, South Dakota and Iowa. Together, these examples show the value of sustained investment, effective project delivery and stronger electricity grids to support a growing mix of clean generation.

History

The historical figures show several major waves of low-carbon electricity growth. Nuclear generation increased by roughly 188 TWh in 1984 and 212 TWh in 1985, followed by a further 291 TWh increase in 1990, when hydropower also rose by about 377 TWh. Hydropower added another 196 TWh in 2010. The loss of about 174 TWh of nuclear generation in 2011 was a serious setback for clean electricity, underscoring the importance of preserving and expanding its contribution. Wind then delivered substantial gains, adding about 170 TWh in both 2017 and 2020, followed by annual increases of roughly 190–265 TWh from 2021 through 2025. Solar’s expansion accelerated from about 198 TWh in 2021 to 328 TWh in 2023, 486 TWh in 2024 and an impressive 644 TWh in 2025, with another 377 TWh increase reported for 2026. Alongside a hydropower gain of about 189 TWh in 2024, these advances demonstrate the enormous potential for sustained growth in clean electricity.