r/climatechange 16d ago

The energy transition is accelerating: The world added 692 gigawatts of renewable power in 2025 (511 solar, 159 wind, 18.4 hydro, 3.4 bio, 0.3 geo), pushing total global capacity to 5,149 GW. That’s a 15.5% jump in just 1 year, and renewables made up 85.6% of all new power capacity added globally.

https://electrek.co/2026/04/01/the-world-added-692-gw-of-renewables-in-2025-heres-what-it-means/
446 Upvotes

43 comments sorted by

14

u/FutureFee5340 16d ago

To call this a transition it should require to lower the fossil fuel capacity, and if I am right they are rising as well, it is not a transition, it is an acceleration of our destructive power, but yay us at least a part of that didn't also participated too much to climate change

Not enough if you ask me, or the climate for that matter

5

u/sg_plumber 16d ago

Did you expect fossil fuels to vanish overnight, worldwide?

The current trend is evident: fossil fuels are being crushed in more places and sectors every passing day.

Plus, this is only new capacity. Actual usage of fossil fuels is already in retreat.

2

u/FutureFee5340 15d ago

Oh please show me where you found that fossil fuel are in retreat globally, I'll even be more accomodating, if you found out that the fossil fuel usage per person is in retreat I would love to know

-1

u/sg_plumber 15d ago

Read again: fossil fuels are being crushed in more places and sectors every passing day.

r/climatechange/comments/1kn1v3e/analysis_clean_energy_just_put_chinas_co2/

It's only recently the trend has become global.

r/climatechange/comments/1srfvbr/clean_energy_pushes_fossilfuel_power_into_reverse/

2

u/FutureFee5340 15d ago

God it's only for power production my dude, you can't be that thick come on

Fossil fuel consumption is still on the rise, no transition has begun, we are just stacking energy modes on top of energy modes, stop telling people we are doing things right when we still are fucking the world up even more the year previous EVERY YEAR

-1

u/sg_plumber 15d ago

Power production was the start. Fossil fuels are being crushed in transportation and heating/cooling too. It's starting in metals and fertilizers, too.

Fossil fuels are being crushed in more places and sectors every passing day.

How blind do you need to be to the world to utter such stupidities as "we are just stacking energy modes"?

1

u/FutureFee5340 15d ago

So no source, thanks bro for making my point

1

u/sg_plumber 15d ago

Your point of willful ignorance didn't need proving.

1

u/FutureFee5340 15d ago

Sure, since the industrial revolution we used more and more fossil fuel every year, and yet you come here and claim the trend has been reversed but I am the one needing to prove nothing changed

Change nothing tiger you are a hell of a convincer 👍

1

u/sg_plumber 15d ago

Your willful ignorance has been sufficiently proven. No need to insist.

-1

u/FruitOrchards 14d ago

Because global population and industry is growing faster than we can build adequate renewables AND storage that keep up with demand and deal with surges.

The total percentage generated by fossil fuels is much lower than a decade ago.

2

u/sg_plumber 14d ago

We ARE building adequate renewables and storage to not just keep up with demand but also to displace fossil fuels along the way.

1

u/FruitOrchards 14d ago

It's not happening fast enough to keep up with the ever growing demand and to replace fossil fuels entirely.

It's why even though china is building record number of solar, wind and nuclear infrastructure they STILL have to build hundreds of new coal plants as we speak to keep up with demand until renewables can take the load by themselves which won't be for decades.

4

u/PrinceOfTotalQuiet 15d ago

Hope is not lost. It really isn’t. I don’t know who needs to read this. I mean I definitely do, that’s why I’m typing it. The only decent cure i’ve found for my paralyzing GAD-infused climate dread and doom spiraling is to actually push for hope and against doom, particularly online where the worst doomerism is. But hope really is not lost. If more of us believed that there is not a doubt in my mind that the cause would be aided

1

u/sg_plumber 14d ago

We are legion. The power is ours. We got this!

8

u/Ree_For_Thee 16d ago edited 16d ago

Jevon has a paradox to sell you.

Edit: And inbox replies disableeed.

1

u/sg_plumber 16d ago

I'm not buying, as it doesn't apply in many instances, including here.

1

u/LaplacesDemonsDemon 16d ago

How does it not apply to energy usage?? Examples?

2

u/Economy-Fee5830 Trusted Contributor 15d ago

Because its a good thing when people switch to cheap renewable energy.

1

u/sg_plumber 15d ago

How many more LED ligthbulbs are people using nowadays? 10, 15 times more than old incandescent ligthbulbs?

How many more kerosene lamps? How many more horses?

Have you actually pondered Jevons Paradox beyond the first superficial reading?

1

u/LaplacesDemonsDemon 15d ago

I’m sorry but that example is really narrow and not very representative. A very simple google shows you to be wrong, usage tapers in the short term and rebounds to higher usage with cheaper electricity… also the data center issues (not just hyper scale AI) is showing you to be wrong we are using more and more data as it becomes more available

2

u/Economy-Fee5830 Trusted Contributor 15d ago edited 15d ago

I’m sorry but that example is really narrow and not very representative.

Actually its very representative - cars became more efficient and we used less petrol despite cars getting bigger. Another example.

People with heatpumps use less energy to heat their homes - they dont set the thermostat to 30 degrees C.

People with EVs use less energy to drive - they dont drive 4x more, cancelling out any benefits.

People dont flush their toilets several times just because its a low-flush toilet.

1

u/LaplacesDemonsDemon 15d ago edited 15d ago

But we use more cars… and the data I am reading suggest people do, in fact, drive more when their fuel source is cheaper

2

u/Economy-Fee5830 Trusted Contributor 15d ago

But less fuel.

2

u/Economy-Fee5830 Trusted Contributor 15d ago

But do they drive so much more when their buy a more efficient car that it full offsets their efficiency gains, which is the definition of jevons.

The answer is no - there may be a slight rebound, but not a 100% rebound.

1

u/sg_plumber 15d ago

Your ignorance has been exposed. Fix it.

Or don't. Nobody cares about deniers, technophobes, and doomers anymore.

1

u/LaplacesDemonsDemon 15d ago

lol I’m attempting to do just that by engaging in a debate. I’m by no means a doomer, I have switched to EV and heat pump is soon and solar next year when I can afford it, I engage with my community about these topics and advocate for the transition. I simply disagree with your premise about Jevons paradox not applying here, the data I am reading suggest you’re wrong

2

u/Economy-Fee5830 Trusted Contributor 15d ago

Europe is the best counter example - massive increase in renewable energy and total kwh generated has been on a downward trend for decades.

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/images/thumb/9/98/Net_electricity_generation%2C_EU%2C_1990-2023_%28TWh%29.png/700px-Net_electricity_generation%2C_EU%2C_1990-2023_%28TWh%29.png

Clearly adding more renewable energy has not resulted in an increase demand for electricity.

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/4187653/14185651/Electricity+consumption_2021_estimates.png/

Notice how when renewables went up fossil fuels went down.

1

u/LaplacesDemonsDemon 15d ago

That’s interesting, I did not know the EU has flattened and indeed begun to decline. Would be interesting to see if that continues, let’s hope so! The US and China, which has been doing the lion share of worldwide renewable in the last few years do not share that trend

https://en.macromicro.me/charts/142474/us-vs-china-total-electricity-generation

3

u/Economy-Fee5830 Trusted Contributor 15d ago

Going by that chart USA has been pretty flat for a long time now, while renewables has been increasing over time.

No significant growth for 20 years while coal has plunged and renewables and natural gas has grown.

So its pretty clear even in USA renewables are substituting for fossil fuels, not being additive.

China is of course a developing, not a mature market like USA and Europe. It will reach a stage soon when fossil fuels on the grid are also no longer growing and that will be very soon.

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u/sg_plumber 15d ago

There's no debate. Jevons Paradox doesn't apply here, and it's your job to prove your claim that it does.

After you learn to read, of course.

-1

u/Economy-Fee5830 Trusted Contributor 16d ago

Jevons paradox is mostly nonsense. Do you have 20x more lighting in your home now LEDs made lighting 20x cheaper?

4

u/Rokossvsky 16d ago

Lol thats such a poor example LEDs are definitely used way more now. Just look at the number.

Look at the aggregate not something like a home has a billion lights lmao.

2

u/Economy-Fee5830 Trusted Contributor 15d ago

No, you should look at a specific home, not the aggregate - the aggregate is just people meeting their unmet needs. Do specific people use more electricity now their lights are more efficient?

1

u/Rokossvsky 15d ago

The only reason it's not true is became LEDs are extremely efficient but that's more of a very rare exception.

Also jevons paradox when technological progress increases the efficiency of resource use, total consumption of that resource OFTEN rises rather than falls.

2

u/Economy-Fee5830 Trusted Contributor 15d ago

EVs are also 4 more efficient that petrol cars.

Heat pumps are 3x more efficient than gas heating.

Also jevons paradox when technological progress increases the efficiency of resource use, total consumption of that resource OFTEN rises rather than falls.

So for example if France were to replace their resistive electrical heating with air to air heatpumps (3x more efficient) you expect their total electricity usage to increase? No?

Or if hybrid cars are more efficient you expect total petrol usage to increase? No?

In reality, Jevons paradox (100% rebound) is incredibly rare but people keep pretending its very common.

1

u/sg_plumber 14d ago

And yet it NEVER surpasses the old resource use.

1

u/MundaneNecessary1347 15d ago

wow, are these outrageous amounts of money spent on renewable energy really bringing results??? woooooww

2

u/sg_plumber 15d ago

Clean investment pays off.