irena / solar / ai datacenters

IRENA's 2026 Renewable Capacity Statistics report found renewables accounted for 49.4% of global installed electricity capacity at the end of 2025, driven by a record 692 GW of additions (15.5% YoY) with solar supplying nearly three-quarters of new renewable capacity. Renewables made up 85.6% of 2025 capacity additions, though that share fell from ~92% in 2024 as non‑renewable additions—led by China’s ~100 GW of mostly coal capacity—nearly doubled. The report warns current trends won’t meet COP28’s goal to triple installed renewable capacity to >11 TW by 2030, and flags rising fossil projects and AI datacenter demand (and related US gas/coal builds) as complicating the energy transition and resilience goals. Key players include IRENA, China, and AI datacenter developers.

Global renewable power capacity climbed to nearly 50% of total electricity capacity last year, driven by rapid solar PV deployment and ongoing cost declines, according to coverage of a new IRENA report highlighted on Hacker News. Key players include solar manufacturers, utilities, and policy actors such as national governments and international agencies (IRENA); Our World in Data is cited for deployment charts. This milestone matters because it signals a structural shift in how electricity is sourced, reduces reliance on fuel-intensive thermal plants, and accelerates investment and grid integration challenges like storage and transmission. The trend reinforces renewables as the economically preferred option for new capacity.

IRENA's 2026 Renewable Capacity Statistics found renewables hit 49.4% of global installed electricity capacity in 2025 after record additions of 692 GW—85.6% of new capacity—with solar providing nearly three-quarters of renewable growth. Despite the surge (15.5% year-over-year growth), non-renewable additions rebounded—nearly doubling from 2024—with China adding ~100 GW of mostly coal and the US expanding natural gas projects, partly to power AI datacenters. IRENA warns the current pace risks missing the COP28 goal to triple renewable capacity to over 11 TW by 2030, stressing that energy security and resilience favor faster renewable deployment amid geopolitical instability.

Renewables reached 49.4% of global installed electricity capacity in 2025, driven by a record 692 GW of additions—85.6% of new capacity—with solar supplying nearly three-quarters of renewable growth, IRENA reports. Despite the surge, non-renewable additions rebounded sharply (nearly doubling versus 2024), led by China’s ~100 GW of mostly coal capacity and a US spike in natural gas projects tied partly to AI datacenter demand. IRENA warns current trends won’t meet the COP28 pledge to triple renewables to over 11 TW by 2030 without significant acceleration. The shift matters for energy security, datacenter sustainability, and tech-sector emissions as AI and cloud growth drive new power needs.