Asia posts biggest fossil fuel generation drop this century, report says

Fossil generation across Asia declined 0.9% last year.

Asia recorded its sharpest annual fall in fossil fuel electricity generation this century in 2025, driven by record solar expansion, according to an Ember report.

Fossil generation across Asia declined 0.9% last year — only the third time this century the region has avoided growth in fossil electricity.

China shed 56 terrawatt-hours (-0.9%) and India 52 TWh (-3.3%), more than offsetting modest increases elsewhere.

Wind and solar together met 94% of Asia's electricity demand growth of 618 TWh. Combined with other renewables, clean generation growth of 718 TWh exceeded total demand growth outright.

Asia now generates 17% of its electricity from wind and solar, in line with the global average.

Solar generation across Asia rose 36% in 2025 — its fastest rate since 2018 — reaching 1,623 TWh, or 10% of the region's power mix, nearly four times its 2020 output.

Moreover, Asia contributed two-thirds of the global increase in solar generation, with China alone accounting for 53% of global solar growth and India for 8%.

Even in ASEAN, where wind and solar remain at just 5% of the power mix, fossil generation edged down 0.2% as overall renewables rose 5.5%.

Hydro remained the backbone of ASEAN's clean power at 239 TWh of the region's 369 TWh total renewables output.