NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – By the end of 2025, global renewable power capacity reached 5.15 terawatts following another record-breaking year of expansion. During this period, an additional 693 gigawatts of renewable capacity was installed worldwide. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, annual capacity additions must now average approximately 1,200 GW through 2030. This pace is essential to achieving the global goal of 11.2 TW of installed renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade.
This objective is part of the UAE Consensus, which was agreed upon at COP28 in Dubai. Nearly 200 countries supported initiatives to triple global renewable capacity and to double the annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030. The latest evaluation measures 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 was announced during Climate Week NYC.
In 2025, renewable capacity growth exceeded 15.5%, continuing the rapid expansion seen in recent years. Global additions reached approximately 582 GW in 2024 and increased to 693 GW last year. An earlier assessment estimated that an average of 1,122 GW needed to be added annually from 2025 to 2030. However, this figure has now risen to around 1,200 GW each year because the remaining timeframe to meet the target has shortened.
Significant increase in grid investment required
The assessment indicates that electricity networks and system flexibility will need nearly $1 trillion annually from 2026 through 2030. In 2025, global investment in these sectors was approximately $525 billion. Additionally, around 2,500 GW of advanced renewable, storage, and large-scale electricity projects are waiting for grid connections worldwide. The report highlights transmission, distribution, battery storage, and digital systems as critical infrastructure to support higher renewable electricity levels.
Between 2024 and 2025, battery storage costs decreased by about 30%, and compared to 2010, they have fallen roughly 95%. Solar projects integrated with storage have also taken on a larger role in new power developments. By 2025, systems designed to deliver continuous renewable electricity accounted for about one-quarter of utility-scale solar installations globally. Furthermore, IRENA reported that more than 90% of new utility-scale renewable projects commissioned last year generated electricity at costs below the cheapest new fossil-fuel alternatives.
Progress in energy efficiency remains sluggish
In 2025, the world saw an improvement in energy intensity of roughly 2%, which is below the approximately 4% annual improvement needed under the UAE Consensus pathway. The aim is to double the yearly rate of global energy efficiency gains by 2030. The assessment emphasizes increased electrification and broader adoption of efficient electrical technologies as major strategies for achieving this goal. It also links faster efficiency improvements to stronger grids, more storage, and more adaptable electricity systems.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has urged for quicker measures to overcome energy transition bottlenecks and for increased investment flows to developing economies. IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera stated that, despite advancements in renewable deployment, grid development and energy efficiency still fall short of the required levels. The global capacity target remains at 11.2 TW by 2030. With 693 GW added in 2025, last year’s expansion is still 507 GW below the average annual addition needed to meet the goal by the end of the decade.