A record amount of solar and wind power capacity came online globally in 2025, equivalent to more than one-seventh of total global gas production, according to a novel report. The surge in renewable energy sources is helping to mitigate the impact of ongoing energy crises, particularly as geopolitical tensions disrupt traditional fuel supplies.
The electricity generated by these new installations alone could replace over one-seventh of global gas production, or nearly double the total annual volume of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from Qatar, the report highlighted. The analysis comes as the conflict in the Middle East has driven up oil and gas prices, refocusing attention on energy security.
Since the start of the conflict on February 28, existing global wind and solar capacity has prevented the need to generate approximately 330 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity from gas, representing a potential cost saving of more than $40 billion. At current market prices, this equates to roughly $138 billion in avoided gas import costs.
“The continuing escalation of tensions in the Middle East brutally reminds us of the risks associated with dependence on imported oil and gas,” said Kingsmill Bond, an analyst at Ember. “Solar, wind, and batteries offer importers a real pathway to energy security – a cheaper, faster-to-deploy, and geopolitically unconstrained solution.”
The rapid growth of solar power is particularly noteworthy. Ember reported that 814 gigawatts (GW) of solar and wind capacity were added worldwide in 2025, bringing the combined global capacity of the two energy sources to over 4 terawatts (TW). This expansion underscores the increasing importance of renewables in the global energy mix.
Solar accounted for the vast majority of these new additions, highlighting “the increasingly important role of solar in the global electricity system,” according to Ember. Cumulative installed solar capacity reached nearly 2,900 GW by the finish of 2025.
Wind power deployment also saw a significant increase, up 47%, reaching a global capacity of approximately 1,300 GW at the end of 2025.
“The scale and speed of solar development are unprecedented in the energy sector,” noted Leonard Heberer, a data analyst at Ember. “These technologies are poised to become the backbone of global electricity supply.”
