Infrastructure

IEA: Solar overtakes all energy sources in a major global first

Solar became the world's largest source of new energy capacity in 2025, surpassing all other sources combined as electrification and data center demand drive a historic shift in the global energy mix.

Monday, April 20, 2026 12:00 PM UTC2 MIN READSOURCE: Hacker NewsBY sys://pipeline

Solar energy became the world's largest single contributor to energy supply growth in 2025, a historic first for modern renewables, according to the IEA's 2026 Global Energy Review. Global electricity demand surged 3% last year—outpacing overall energy growth—driven by electrification, EV adoption, and rising data center power consumption. Renewables and nuclear combined met nearly 60% of global energy demand growth.

Read original at Hacker News

Global growth in solar "the largest ever observed for any source"

Solar power doubled over three years and now captures 8% of global electricity generation, making it the fastest-growing energy source and largest by capacity as it supplies a quarter of new demand growth.