35 Years of Global Wind and Solar Power Leaders

The renewable energy leaderboard has a new heavyweight: China accounted for 42% of global wind and solar electricity generation last year, compared with 16% for the United States, according to the Statistical Review of World Energy. That reverses the early picture: in 1990, the US supplied nearly 80% of the world’s wind and solar power.

How China became the global superpower: China’s renewable energy lead grew from years of investment in factories, supply chains and domestic power projects, supported by industrial policy and economies of scale.

The country added nearly 500 gigawatts of renewable capacity in 2025, accounting for more than 60% of global additions, including almost 370 gigawatts of solar and 117 gigawatts of wind. Developers rushed to finish projects ahead of a June 2025 policy change that shifted new wind and solar projects from fixed tariffs toward market-based pricing.

Key early policy wins

In the early years, government incentives helped turn the first wind and solar projects into financeable investments.

California’s tax incentives and long-term electricity contracts supported its early wind boom, while Germany’s feed-in tariffs guaranteed payments to renewable generators for 20 years. Spain also used guaranteed electricity prices to encourage wind and solar development. These policies gave developers and lenders greater confidence in future revenue, helping projects secure financing and reach construction.

Renewables today and beyond: In 2025, 30 countries installed more than one gigawatt of solar capacity, almost twice as many as in 2020. Global renewable capacity additions rose 16% to a record 800 gigawatts, with China accounting for more than 60% of the total.

India is positioned to gain ground: The International Energy Agency expects the Asian giant to become the world’s second-largest market for renewable capacity growth, behind China. Its annual renewable additions jumped almost 60% in 2025, led by nearly 50 gigawatts of solar.

Saudi Arabia and South Africa are also expanding quickly, with Saudi solar additions quadrupling to nearly seven gigawatts and South Africa installing more than three gigawatts for the first time.