Grid constraints are limiting clean energy growth, with China curtailing enough renewable power in the first half of 2026 to supply Mexico for a year.
Key takeaways
Global clean energy growth is expected to slow this year, primarily due to grid limitations in China that caused significant renewable power curtailment. IRENA officials stated that increased capacity elsewhere will not offset this decline, despite record installations in 2025.
- Clean power installations reached a record 692 GW in 2025, accounting for half of global power capacity.
- China rejected enough clean energy in early 2026 to power Mexico for a year due to grid constraints.
- IRENA director-general Francesco La Camera attributed the slowdown to a mismatch between generation and transmission capacity.
Summarised automatically by AI from the original article by Free Malaysia Today. AI can make mistakes, so check the original for details.
The International Renewable Energy Agency said there is a mismatch between countries’ renewable energy generation capacity and their ability to distribute and transmit the electricity. (EPA Images pic)SINGAPORE: The world will add less clean energy capacity in 2026 for the first time in five years due to inadequate transmission networks and trade barriers, the chief of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) said.
Growth in solar and wind capacity has been accelerating every year since 2021, when the coronavirus pandemic disrupted global supply chains. Clean power installations including hydropower surged a record 692 GW, or 15.5%, to 5,149 GW in 2025 — representing half the world's power capacity.
%2Ffile%2Fattachments%2Forphans%2Fprabowo13_609145.jpg&w=480&output=webp&q=85&we)
