IEA Global Energy Review 2026: Solar Leads World Energy Demand Growth for First Time in History

The International Energy Agency released its Global Energy Review 2026 on April 20, marking a watershed moment in energy history: solar PV accounted for 27% of the world's growth in energy demand in 2025 — the first time any modern renewable source held the largest single share of global energy demand growth. The world added a record 605 GW of new solar PV capacity in 2025, bringing global solar generation to approximately 2,700 TWh (over 8% of global electricity). Battery storage capacity grew 40% year-on-year with 108 GW of new deployments. Global EV sales surpassed 20 million units in 2025 (1 in 4 new cars sold), with EVs exceeding 50% of car sales in China for the first time. The IEA noted that solar capacity additions now surpass those of all other energy technologies combined, and that the ongoing clean energy surge contributed to the first meaningful decline in coal-fired electricity generation since 2019.