NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – By the end of 2025, the renewable power capacity globally reached 5.15 terawatts, marking another record-breaking year of expansion. During this period, 693 gigawatts of renewable capacity were added worldwide. The International Renewable Energy Agency emphasized that annual additions now need to average approximately 1,200 GW through 2030. Achieving this rate is essential to reach the overall goal of 11.2 TW of installed renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade.
This objective is part of the UAE Consensus endorsed at COP28 in Dubai. Nearly 200 nations backed initiatives to triple global renewable capacity and double the pace of energy efficiency improvements by 2030. The latest assessment evaluates progress towards these targets using data from 2025. It was developed in collaboration with the COP31 Presidency of Türkiye and the Global Renewables Alliance, and was unveiled during Climate Week NYC.
The growth of renewable capacity in 2025 exceeded 15.5%, continuing the rapid expansion seen in recent years. Global additions increased from about 582 GW in 2024 to 693 GW last year. An earlier assessment projected that 1,122 GW needed to be added annually from 2025 to 2030. Due to the shortened timeline to meet the goal, this requirement has now risen to roughly 1,200 GW each year.
Demand for Grid Infrastructure Investment Must Surge
According to the report, electricity grids and system flexibility will necessitate nearly $1 trillion in yearly investments from 2026 through 2030. In 2025, global spending on these areas was approximately $525 billion. Around 2,500 GW of advanced renewable projects, storage solutions, and large-scale electricity initiatives are awaiting grid connections worldwide. The report highlights transmission, distribution, battery storage, and digital systems as critical infrastructure to support increased renewable electricity deployment.
Between 2024 and 2025, battery storage costs declined by about 30%, and they are roughly 95% lower than in 2010. Solar projects integrated with storage played a growing role in new power capacity developments. By 2025, systems designed to deliver 24/7 renewable electricity accounted for about one-quarter of utility-scale solar installations worldwide. Additionally, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres stated that more than 90% of new utility-scale renewable projects commissioned last year generated electricity below the cost of the cheapest new fossil-fuel alternative.
Progress in Energy Efficiency Lags Behind
In 2025, global energy intensity improved by about 2%, falling short of the roughly 4% yearly improvement outlined in the UAE Consensus pathway. The goal aims to double the average annual rate of global energy efficiency improvements by 2030. The assessment highlights increased electrification and the broader adoption of efficient electrical technologies as key components of this target. It also links faster efficiency gains to the development of more robust grids, additional storage, and more adaptable electricity systems.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged for more urgent action on overcoming energy transition obstacles and for stronger investment flows into developing economies. Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA, remarked that while renewable deployment advanced, grid development and energy efficiency improvements lagged behind the needed levels. The worldwide capacity target remains set at 11.2 TW by 2030. With 693 GW added in 2025, last year’s growth was 507 GW below the required annual average to meet the 2030 goal, indicating a significant gap to bridge.