LONDON — The global energy landscape has reached a massive new milestone. According to the latest data analysis released by the global energy think tank, Ember, the combination of solar and wind power plants officially generated more electricity than gas-fired power plants worldwide for an entire month.

A Significant Achievement

The report shows that solar and wind power collectively accounted for 22% of the total global electricity share, surpassing gas-based power plants, which were around 20%.

In absolute terms, this renewable energy duo generated a record 531 Terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in a single month, or approximately 54 TWh more than the total production of gas plants, which stood at 477 TWh.

This surge represents a drastic change compared to the previous five years (as of April 2021), when electricity production from gas was almost twice that of solar and wind combined.

Key Driver: Massive Adoption Across the Globe

This remarkable achievement was driven by the rapid growth in adoption of solar and wind infrastructure, even amidst uncertainty in the global fossil fuel market. This increase in clean energy output surged by approximately 13% year-on-year, with the largest contributions coming from key global markets, including:

China: Recorded massive solar and wind output growth (+14%).

The European Union & the United Kingdom: Each recorded significant increases (+13% to +35%).

The United States: Continued to expand its green grid capacity (+8%).

Latin America & the Pacific: Countries like Brazil (+4%), Chile (+24%), and Australia (+17%) have consistently integrated solar energy at a large utility scale.

The Economic Argument: Solar Energy is Cheaper Than Gas Imports

Ember Global Energy Analyst, Kostantsa Rangelova, stated that the global energy crisis and fluctuating liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices have strengthened the economic case for many countries to abandon imported fossil fuels.

"Countries around the world are turning to solar and wind power because they are cheap, domestically sourced, and secure sources of electricity," said Rangelova. "For many importing countries, electricity generated by gas/LNG is increasingly unable to compete economically with solar and wind power, whose costs continue to decline."

Long-Term Impact on the Energy Transition

Although this achievement is only a month-long milestone—given that spring conditions in the northern hemisphere historically maximize wind and solar potential—experts consider this trend a strong signal of the global energy transition phase.

The surge in solar power has proven to be a major savior in meeting the surge in global electricity demand (including for data centers and electric vehicles) without triggering a further spike in carbon emissions. This record further confirms that the dominance of conventional fossil fuels, such as gas, is beginning to be eroded by the massive pace of the green energy revolution, with solar power as its primary driving force.

Source: https://ember-energy.org/latest-updates/for-the-first-time-wind-and-solar-generated-more-electricity-than-gas-worldwide-in-april-2026/