Donald Trump believes neither in climate change nor in the energy transition. The US president rarely misses an opportunity to rail against renewable energy sources. He offered a taste of this attitude at this year’s World Economic Forum (WEF), when the Republican took aim at wind power. “Instead of building ineffective, money-losing windmills, we're taking them down and not approving new ones,” the US president declared. The reality is rather different. Not only have the construction freezes imposed by the US government on several wind farms been overturned by the courts, but the expansion of renewable energy sources is advancing worldwide. According to the latest figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), last year the total power capacity of renewables reached 5,149 gigawatts (GW), a rise of 15.5% on 2024. Almost 86% of the energy capacity built up across the globe over the last year can be attributed to renewable sources.<\/p>\n
“In the midst of uncertain time, renewable energy remains consistent and steadfast in its expansion,” said Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA, commenting on the results of the “Renewable Capacity Statistics 2026”. Photovoltaic systems are in particular demand, with solar power accounting for around three quarters of the total expansion of renewable energies in 2025. The wind energy so hated by Trump recorded clear growth, however, so that – in terms of global capacity – this energy source has now caught up with the ever-important hydropower. With the latest escalation in the Middle East, sun, wind and water are again increasing in significance as energy sources. Since the USA and Israel began attacking Iran at the end of February, the price of oil has risen by a good half.<\/p>\n
This means the world is already suffering its third energy crisis in the current decade, following the Covid shock in 2020 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Above all, the de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is heightening concerns about supply shortages. In normal times around one fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas is transported through this narrow waterway. In the view of the head of IRENA, this situation provides clear arguments in favour of renewable sources. “Countries that invested in the energy transition are weathering this crisis with less economic damage, as they boost energy security, resilience and competitiveness,” Francesco La Camera says. Unlike oil and gas, energy can be generated locally with the aid of sun, wind and water, making it available immediately.<\/p>\n
And that is not to mention the costs: technological progress and economies of scale mean that renewable energy sources are becoming ever more affordable. IRENA puts the average cost of generating one kilowatt-hour (kWh) of solar power in 2024 at USD 0.043. This rate has thus fallen by three quarters within a decade. The production costs for generating electricity from onshore and offshore wind power have also dropped sharply. At USD 0.034 per kWh, production costs in the onshore segment in 2024 were even a little below those for solar. According to IRENA, that makes renewable energies the cheapest option for newly installed power stations. In 2024, the organisation reports, 91% of large-scale plants brought on stream supplied electricity from renewable sources at a lower cost than the cheapest new fossil fuel-based alternative.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As at 1 April 2026; source: IRENA<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As at July 2025; source: IRENA<\/p>","adHoc":false,"headline":"Renewable energy: the future belongs to renewables","imageThumbnail":"/contentAsset/resize-image/1873fccb-786c-4909-bfde-47791ba5b98f/fileAsset/w/770"}