Global electricity demand up by 369 TWh in H1

China accounted for 54% of the increase.

Global electricity demand has increased by 369 terrawatt-hours (TWh) in the first half (H1) of 2025, lower than the 731 TWh in the same period last year.

“The smaller increase was due to a few factors, including a more measured pace of industrial growth in China and India, but also fewer heatwaves in May and June in India,” Ember said in a new report.

The world’s four largest polluters accounted for 81% of the global demand rise, led by China with 54% (198 TWh), the US 21% (76 TWh), India 3.3% (12 TWh) and the EU 2.4% (9 TWh).

In China, the increase in demand eased from 326 TWh (+7.5%) in the same period last year.

Despite the smaller rise, the global demand increase in H1 2025 was close to the 10-year annual average of 2.7% for 2015 to 2024.

The Ember report noted that solar and wind generation outpaced the entire growth in electricity demand in the first half of this year.

“Solar alone met 83% of the increase, setting new records for both growth and generation. Solar’s share of electricity generation rose to 8.8%, up from 6.9% in the first half of 2024,” the report read.

In other technologies, nuclear generation rose by 33 TWh (+2.5%), and other renewables increased by 3.6 TWh (+4.7%).

Meanwhile, hydro fell by 42 TWh (-2%), and bioenergy also declined by 2.7 TWh (-1%). Total fossil generation declined by 27 TWh (-0.3%) as coal fell by 31 TWh (-0.6%) and gas by 6.3 TWh (-0.2%), offsetting a small rise in other fossil fuels (+10 TWh, +2.5%).