NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – By the end of 2025, the global renewable power capacity reached 5.15 terawatts, marking another record-breaking year of growth. Throughout the year, an additional 693 gigawatts of renewable capacity was added worldwide. The International Renewable Energy Agency emphasized that annual additions now need to average around 1,200 GW through 2030. Achieving this rate is essential to meet the global goal of reaching 11.2 TW of installed renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade.
This target is part of the UAE Consensus, which was agreed upon at COP28 in Dubai. Nearly 200 nations endorsed efforts to triple global renewable capacity and to double the pace of energy efficiency improvements by 2030. The latest assessment evaluates progress against both objectives using data from 2025. It was prepared in collaboration with the COP31 Presidency of Türkiye and the Global Renewables Alliance, and it was unveiled during Climate Week NYC.
Renewable capacity saw an increase of over 15.5% in 2025, continuing the rapid growth trend of recent years. In 2024, global additions reached approximately 582 GW, before rising to 693 GW last year. An earlier assessment projected that around 1,122 GW needed to be added annually from 2025 to 2030. With the remaining timeframe shortening, the revised figure now stands at roughly 1,200 GW per year to meet the target.
Grid investment must see significant growth
The assessment indicates that investments in electricity networks and system flexibility should approach $1 trillion each year from 2026 to 2030. In 2025, global spending in these sectors was approximately $525 billion. Currently, about 2,500 GW of advanced renewable, storage, and large electricity projects are waiting for grid connections worldwide. The report highlights transmission, distribution, battery storage, and digital systems as crucial infrastructure to support increased renewable electricity integration.
Between 2024 and 2025, battery storage costs decreased by about 30%, and compared to 2010, they have fallen by approximately 95%. Solar projects integrated with storage are playing an increasingly vital role in new power development. In 2025, about a quarter of utility-scale solar capacity commissioned globally consisted of systems designed to deliver 24/7 renewable electricity. Additionally, IRENA reports that more than 90% of new utility-scale renewable projects commissioned last year produced electricity at a cost lower than the cheapest new fossil-fuel alternative.
Progress in energy efficiency remains sluggish
In 2025, the global energy intensity improved by roughly 2%, falling short of the approximately 4% annual improvement needed under the UAE Consensus pathway. The goal is to double the average yearly rate of global energy efficiency gains by 2030. The assessment highlights increased electrification and the broader adoption of efficient electrical technologies as key strategies to achieve this. It also notes that stronger grids, more storage, and flexible electricity systems are linked to faster efficiency improvements.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for accelerated efforts to remove energy transition bottlenecks and for increased investments in developing economies. IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera stated that although renewable deployment advanced, grid development and energy efficiency still lag behind required levels. The benchmark for global capacity remains at 11.2 TW by 2030. With 693 GW added in 2025, last year’s expansion was still 507 GW below the current annual addition needed through the end of the decade.