The global pipeline of wind and utility-scale solar projects are expanded to a record 4.9 terawatts (TW) in 2025, with emerging economies accounting for a large share of the new projects, according to a new analysis from the US think tank Global Energy Monitor on Tuesday.
The report shows that wind and utility-scale solar projects that are planned, in pre-construction or already under construction, grew 11% from a year earlier, up from about 4.4 terawatts.
Wind makes up the bigger slice of the pipeline, with 2.7 terawatts of projects planned or underway, compared with 2.2 terawatts for solar. About 758 gigawatts of capacity worldwide is currently under construction.
China continues to lead by a wide margin. The country accounts for roughly 448 gigawatts of wind and utility-scale solar projects now being built, nearly half of the global total. Its combined operating wind and solar capacity surpassed 1.6 terawatts in 2025, around three times that of the US and India.
Brazil, with 401 gigawatts, India with 234 gigawatts, and the Philippines with 146 gigawatts also rank among the top countries for future wind and utility-scale solar capacity, the report said.
Meanwhile, the G7 nations hold just 11% of the world's prospective wind and utility-scale solar capacity, despite controlling roughly half of global wealth. Their combined project pipeline has remained mostly unchanged at about 520 gigawatts since 2023, pointing to a growing gap between climate goals and actual construction.
Commenting on the report, Diren Kocakusak, a research analyst for Global Energy Monitor, said that wind and solar are scaling at breakneck speed.
"Much of that momentum is coming from countries once seen as energy followers," Kocakusak said. "The question now is whether wealthier countries will close the gap between ambition and execution, or cede leadership in this booming growth sector," he said.
Reporting by Nuran Erkul in London
Writing by Handan Kazanci
Anadolu Agency
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