NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – Achieving a total of 5.15 terawatts of renewable power capacity by the end of 2025 marks a significant milestone following another year of record-breaking expansion. Throughout 2025, an additional 693 gigawatts of renewable capacity was added worldwide. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, the annual growth rate must now reach approximately 1,200 GW until 2030. This pace is essential to meet the global goal of installing 11.2 TW of renewable energy capacity by the end of this decade.
This objective is part of the UAE Consensus endorsed during COP28 in Dubai. Nearly 200 nations agreed to efforts aimed at tripling global renewable capacity and doubling the yearly rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030. The latest evaluation of progress uses 2025 data to assess advancements toward both targets. It was prepared with the COP31 Presidency of Türkiye and the Global Renewables Alliance, and was unveiled during Climate Week NYC.
In 2025, renewable capacity saw an increase of over 15.5%, continuing the rapid growth trend observed in recent years. Global additions reached about 582 GW in 2024 before rising to 693 GW in 2025. Previously, estimates indicated that about 1,122 GW would need to be added annually from 2025 to 2030. The revised figure now stands at roughly 1,200 GW each year, reflecting the shorter remaining timeframe to achieve the overall target.
Significant escalation in grid infrastructure investments required
The assessment highlights that annual investments nearing $1 trillion in electricity networks and system flexibility will be necessary from 2026 through 2030. In 2025, global spending on these areas was approximately $525 billion. Additionally, about 2,500 GW of advanced renewable, storage, and large-scale electricity projects are awaiting grid connections worldwide. The report emphasizes transmission, distribution, battery storage, and digital systems as crucial infrastructure components needed to support higher levels of renewable electricity generation.
Between 2024 and 2025, battery storage costs decreased by around 30%, and compared with 2010 levels, costs have fallen approximately 95%. Solar projects integrated with storage gained prominence in new power development, with systems designed to deliver round-the-clock renewable electricity accounting for roughly one-quarter of utility-scale solar installations worldwide in 2025. IRENA also reported that over 90% of new utility-scale renewable projects commissioned last year generated electricity below the cost of the cheapest new fossil-fuel alternative.
Energy efficiency improvements lag behind
In 2025, global energy intensity improved by roughly 2%, falling short of the approximately 4% annual improvement needed under the UAE Consensus pathway. The objective calls for doubling the current rate of global energy efficiency improvement by 2030. The assessment highlights greater electrification and broader use of efficient electrical technologies as key strategies to reach this goal. It also connects faster efficiency gains with stronger grids, increased storage capacity, and more adaptable electricity systems.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged for accelerated action to overcome energy transition barriers and for increased investment flows into developing economies. Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA, stated that while renewable deployment had advanced, grid development and energy efficiency remained below the necessary levels. The global capacity goal remains set at 11.2 TW by 2030. With 693 GW added in 2025, last year’s expansion still falls 507 GW short of the average annual addition now required through to the end of the decade.