Power Energy
Global Electricity Review 2026: Solar and Storage End Fossil Growth, Rewriting the Energy Playbook
The 2026 Global Electricity Review reveals a structural turning point: clean power met all 849 TWh of new electricity demand, pushing fossil generation into decline (-0.2%). Solar alone provided 75% of demand growth, and with battery storage costs plummeting 45% and deployment surging 46%, renewables overtook coal in the global generation mix (33.8%). China and India both saw fossil output fall for the first time, while Chile and Australia proved that grid-level storage can shift over half of new solar generation. This is not a temporary blip but a market-driven realignment—behind the headlines lie deep implications for fossil asset valuations, supply chains for solar and batteries, and utility business models worldwide.