For the first time, wind and solar generated more electricity than gas worldwide in April 2026
Rapid wind and solar growth is weakening the case for imported gas even during the latest energy crisis.
Wind and solar generated more electricity than gas globally for the first month ever in April 2026, according to data analysed by global energy think tank Ember. Together, wind and solar generated 22% of global electricity in April 2026, compared with 20% from gas.
The milestone occurred during the first full month of the latest global energy crisis triggered by the conflict in the Middle East, highlighting how rapidly growing wind and solar generation is reshaping the global power mix even amid fossil fuel market volatility.
Wind and solar produced a record 531 TWh of electricity in April 2026, 54 TWh more than gas generation at 477 TWh. Five years ago, in April 2021, gas generation stood at a similar level (476 TWh), but was nearly double the combined generation from wind and solar (245 TWh).
The April 2026 milestone was driven by continued strong growth in wind and solar, which rose fast enough to meet most of the increase in global electricity demand and helped limit the rise in gas generation.
The data shows no evidence of widespread gas-to-coal switching globally, despite ongoing energy security concerns.
Wind and solar generation also rose across countries reporting April 2026 data. Globally, output is estimated to have grown 13% year-on-year, with gains across major markets including China (+14%), EU (+13%), the UK (+35%), the US (+8%), Australia (+17%), Chile (+24%) and Brazil (+4%).
April 2026 data reflects a continuation of a longer-term shift towards growing clean power generation, led by wind and solar, which met all global electricity demand growth in 2025, as reported by Ember in its Global Electricity Review.
The April milestone is part of a broader trend and thus not a reaction to the current energy crisis, but it comes at a pertinent moment as growing wind and solar generation helps reduce reliance on gas imports for many countries hit by the crisis.
Countries around the world have been turning to wind and solar because they are cheap, homegrown and secure sources of electricity. The current energy crisis has further strengthened the economic case for renewables compared to imported gas, while also adding greater political urgency to accelerate deployment. For many importing countries, LNG-powered electricity is increasingly unable to compete with wind and solar.
So far, wind and solar have overtaken gas only for a single month and not on an annual basis. April was the most likely month for this milestone, as spring conditions in the northern hemisphere — where most global solar capacity is concentrated — typically combine strong wind output with rising solar generation. At the same time, electricity demand is typically lower between the heating and cooling seasons, meaning gas generation tends to be lower than in most other months of the year.
Governments across the world are adding plans to accelerate renewable energy deployment as they seek to reduce exposure to volatile fossil fuels. A number of countries have recently announced strong policy measures and goals that aim to further accelerate wind and solar growth, as tracked by the Global Renewables Alliance. Recent announcements include, Indonesia’s plan to develop a 100 GW solar-plus-storage capacity, South Korea’s plans to triple renewables capacity to 100 GW by 2030, and efforts to accelerate renewables projects across countries including the Philippines, Thailand and the UK.
