Within the next few years, renewable energy sources are expected to surpass coal, oil, and gas on a global scale.
According to the International Energy Agency's 2025 report, "Global renewable power capacity is expected to double between now and 2030, increasing by 4,600 gigawatts."
The agency observed that this is roughly equivalent to the combined power generation of China, the European Union, and Japan.
However, the outlook isn't entirely rosy. The 2025 World Energy Outlook considers three scenarios. The first considers current policies, the second considers policies that have been spoken about in the political arena, and the third considers countries aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050.
In the first scenario, the IEA projected the highest increase in demand for energy sources like oil and natural gas. While the other two scenarios saw less of these energy types, all three predicted that the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming by 2050 set forth in the Paris Climate Agreement will be surpassed.
The rapid expansion of renewables is good news for the climate, especially in efforts to limit that level of warming. Renewable sources like wind and solar reduce or eliminate the heat-trapping pollution produced from energy sources like oil and gas.
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A global uptick in renewable energy will have numerous benefits. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, some of these benefits include better public health as pollution decreases, more jobs benefitting local economies, and more stable and cheaper energy prices.
"Renewables and electrification will dominate the future — and all fossil-importing nations will gain the most by embracing them," Dave Jones, the chief analyst of the thinktank Ember, told The Guardian.
Meanwhile, TechXplore referenced the IEA's report, which projected "policy changes mean that the United States has 30% less renewables capacity installed in 2035 than in last year's Outlook, but at the global level renewables continue their rapid expansion."
If you want to take part in the energy transition at home, installing solar panels can be a great way to lower your energy costs and make your home more resilient.
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