Fossil-based power declines globally as clean power in India grows: Report, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• India's record clean energy generation in 2025 led to a 52 TWh decrease in fossil fuel-based electricity production, contributing to a global decline.
• China also saw a decline of 56 TWh in fossil fuel-based electricity in 2025, marking the first time since 2015.
• India added 38 GW of solar capacity in 2025, surpassing the US which added 33 GW.
• India's total renewable energy capacity increased by over 48 GW in 2025, including wind and hydropower.

Detailed Insights:

• The decline in global fossil fuel-based power generation in 2025 marks only the fifth time this century it has occurred, and the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
• India's increased renewable energy production of 98 TWh more than compensated for the country's additional electricity demand of 49 TWh in 2025.
• A CREA study indicated that India's coal-fired electricity generation experienced its first year-on-year decline in half a century in 2025, excluding the pandemic period.
• Reduced monsoon rainfall predicted for the current year could potentially reverse the 2025 trend, leading to increased fossil fuel-based electricity generation due to higher demand.

Key Concepts Involved:

• TWh (Terawatt-hour): A unit of energy representing one trillion watt-hours, commonly used to measure large-scale electricity production.
• GW (Gigawatt): A unit of power equal to one billion watts, used to measure the capacity of power plants.
• Renewable Energy: Energy derived from natural processes that are replenished constantly, such as solar, wind, and hydropower.