Weekly Briefing: For the first time ever, renewables surpassed coal power globally

October 8, 2025

This week, the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Ember Energy released two very encouraging reports about global clean power generation.

The Ember report found that global power demand increased in the first half of 2025, and the increase in solar and wind power more than met that demand growth. Solar generation is way up this year. Overall, solar jumped from 7% of global power generation in the first half of 2024 to 9% in the first half of 2025. Nuclear energy generation increased as well.

Meanwhile, fossil fuel energy production is actually slightly down. For the first time ever, renewable energy use surpassed fossil fuel energy use worldwide! The report concludes that “global power sector fossil fuel demand is nearing its peak.”

The IEA report also supports this conclusion, forecasting that “Global renewable power capacity is expected to double between now and 2030.” Specifically, clean energy is expected to grow 2.6x its 2022 level by the end of the decade.

This is all fantastic news for clean energy growth — but we need to make sure America is pulling its weight in this global trend. That's why we're working hard to advance permitting reform to unlock America's clean energy potential. You can read a more in-depth breakdown of these reports from CCL Research Manager Dana Nuccitelli (and find links to the full texts) on the CCL Community Nerd Corner.

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In other news:

• October monthly meeting this Saturday: Join us this Saturday, October 11, at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET for our monthly meeting, featuring guest speaker Jessica Trotman. We’re officially one year out from the arrival of Hurricane Helene. As the Assistant Town Manager of Black Mountain, North Carolina, Jessica continues to lead recovery and resilience efforts following Hurricane Helene. She also serves as a Senior Consultant with the American Flood Coalition. Jessica will share updates insights into the recovery and insights into educating the public about extreme weather preparedness. RSVP now, and we’ll see you Saturday!
  
• Fall Conference registration: In case you missed it, registration for CCL’s Virtual Fall Conference is now open! This free online event, taking place Nov. 14-15, prepares attendees for virtual lobby week and sets the strategy for our 2026 climate advocacy work and beyond. This year, expect a special focus on permitting reform actions and updates. Register now to secure your spot.

Take action this week

If you have a little time: Share this article about America's wildfire management. The U.S. Forest Service is behind on the number of acres treated for wildfire management this year for a variety of reasons, including DOGE-induced retirements and the current government shutdown. CCL is supporting the Fix Our Forests Act to improve forest management practices and reduce wildfire risk. Read and share the article on Facebook, X, Bluesky, or LinkedIn.

If you have more time: Generate local media about the Fix Our Forests Act. We've sent thousands of messages to Congress — now let's take the conversation public. This month, we’re writing letters to the editor and op-eds in support of FOFA. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, CCL has the resources and training you need. Check out our op-ed template about the Fix Our Forests Act and guidance for letters to the editor, all in CCL’s October Action Sheet.

Featured chapter: CCL Austin

Climate advocacy is hard work. CCLers know the importance of having a little fun in between!

CCL Austin’s “Under-40ish” group held three mixers this past summer, pulling in many folks who are aware of the chapter but don’t often attend regular chapter meetings.

“I’ve been mentioning to our younger members that it would be great to organize something for their generation,” said Cynthia Lesky, one of the chapter’s leaders.

Chapter member Roustam Gouliev (pictured above, left) took her up on the idea. Cynthia shared the suggestion with him at a tabling event, and “within ten minutes, Roustam had set up a GroupMe chat and started inviting people,” Cynthia said.

“That GroupMe very quickly led to monthly get-togethers at a local brewpub and at coffee shops — proving yet again, it takes just one person to get things moving!”

Teamwork makes the dream work, and these meetups are an awesome way to build community among local climate advocates. Way to go, CCL Austin!

For more inspiration, check out our roundup of chapter social events from this summer.

Upcoming trainings

10/9: Lobbying with Impact: How to Prepare and Show Up Strong for Your Congressional Meetings - This training specifically addresses how to prepare yourself for a successful meeting with a member of Congress. You will learn about CCL's methodology, research tips, available tools, lobby meeting roles and parts, the value of practice, and the power of listening. Join us!

10/16: Understanding Congress: A Citizen's Guide to Engagement - This training walks through the details of the congressional policy-making process. Findings are backed by research from the Congressional Management Foundation on life in Congress for both staff members and our representatives and senators. Join us!

To see other events and CCL trainings, visit the Training Topics page of CCL Community55.