China and India cut fossil power as renewables overtake coal in 2025

Asia energy mix shifts as global coal generation drops by 63 TWh.

China and India recorded declines in fossil fuel electricity generation in 2025 whilst solar and wind output rose, marking a shift in Asia’s power mix, according to an Ember report.

China’s fossil fuel generation fell 0.9%,or by 56 terawatt-hours (TWh), in 2025 as solar generation rose 40% or 336 TWh. Solar met about two-thirds of new electricity demand.

India’s fossil fuel generation fell 3.3%, or by 52 TWh, over the same period, whilst renewable generation increased 24% or 98 TWh.

The declines in both countries coincided with a global shift in electricity supply, as renewable energy accounted for 33.8% of global generation in 2025, above coal at 33.0%.

Global coal generation fell by 63 TWh, marking its first annual decline since 2020, whilst solar and wind met 99% of global electricity demand growth.

The Ember report said the change reflects a shift in emerging markets, where electricity demand growth has been met by new renewable supply rather than additional fossil fuel use.

China and India together remain large fossil fuel power producers, with fossil fuels accounting for 58% and 73% of their electricity mixes respectively in 2025.

The report noted that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recorded a 19% decline in fossil fuel generation from its 2007 peak, with the power source accounting for 48% of OECD electricity generation in 2025, below the global average of 57%.

All 38 OECD members recorded fossil generation below peak levels in 2025, it added

Ember said wind and solar generation in OECD countries rose by 2,138 TWh from 2007 to 2025, offsetting declines in fossil fuel output and meeting demand growth.

Power sector emissions in OECD countries fell by 28% over the same period, the report noted.

It added that renewables were cheaper than gas-fired generation in 2025.

Average levelised cost of energy stood at $39 per megawatt-hour (MWh) for solar and $40/MWh for onshore wind, compared with $102/MWh for combined cycle gas turbines.