Why did Science magazine name renewable energy its 2025 Breakthrough of the Year?
In 2004, it took a full year to install 1 GW of solar. Now twice that goes online every single day.
The answer
In 2025, renewables surpassed coal as a source of electricity worldwide for the first time in history. Solar and wind energy grew so fast that they covered the entire increase in global electricity demand from January to June. Science magazine named this unstoppable rise its 2025 Breakthrough of the Year, noting that the real driver has shifted from climate virtue to simple economics - renewable energy is now cheaper than fossil fuels in most markets. Solar panel imports in Africa and South Asia have soared as rooftop solar can cheaply power lights, phones, and fans without grid infrastructure.
Source: Science (AAAS)
- energy
- climate
- solar
- renewables
More from Science & Discovery
- Why is the sky blue?
- How do trees communicate?
- Why do we yawn?
- What happens inside a black hole?
- Why does honey never spoil?
- How does a caterpillar turn into a butterfly?