2025 in data: power capacity and generation, deals and job trends

Frequently asked questions

• What were the biggest power capacity and generation shifts in 2025?

  Renewables took nearly half the share of global cumulative capacity, with new additions dominated by solar PV and wind. But the standout milestone was in generation: solar, wind and hydropower together reached 34%, edging past coal at 31% for the first time. Despite this, coal and gas still underpin many systems, and GlobalData expects renewables to overtake all thermal generation combined around 2033.

• What happened to solar PV in 2025?

  Solar drove the year’s build-out, delivering 64.1% of new capacity additions, a 5% growth from 2024. Overproduction across the solar supply chain pushed module prices down, improving project economics and investor confidence. Falling costs and better grid access helped accelerate utility-scale deployment, with GlobalData expecting global solar capacity to near 3TW by end-2025.

• What happened to wind power in 2025?

  Offshore wind had a difficult year, hit by unfavourable US policy signals and tariff pressures. Funding was pulled from some developments, and multiple projects were paused, postponed or sold. Even so, the longer-term pipeline remains strong and concentrated: a small group of countries still holds almost all global offshore capacity, though new entrants are expected to reshape the top rankings.

• Why did natural gas see renewed interest this year?

  Gas regained attention largely because it can be built quickly and deliver firm power on timelines similar to data centre construction. As data centres’ electricity demand surged, developers looked for near-term capacity solutions, triggering new gas projects and creating turbine order backlogs. In the US, gas remains a major stabiliser while storage, grids and interconnection capacity catch up.

• What happened to hydrogen in 2025?

  Low-carbon hydrogen struggled. Delays, downsizing and policy uncertainty reduced projected cumulative 2030 capacity by about 10% year-on-year. Looking further out, expected capacity coming online by 2035 dropped sharply in both high and low scenarios, reflecting weaker confidence in timelines and scale. The setbacks have fuelled fresh doubts about whether hydrogen will meaningfully cut emissions before 2040.

• How did the power job market change in 2025?

  Hiring swung dramatically: a record spike in Q1 was followed by a sharp drop in Q2, then gradual weakening through Q3 and Q4. Policy changes, new construction and weather all played a part. Recruitment became more targeted towards specialised expertise, especially in tariffs. The sector see specialised recruitment growing in areas like grid reliability, storage, regulatory strategy and digital analytics.