Wind and Solar Outproduced Gas Globally for First Full Month in April 2026

Wind and solar generated 22% of global electricity in April 2026 versus 20% from gas, the first time renewables have beaten gas across a full month, according to think tank Ember. The two sources produced 531 TWh combined — 54 TWh more than gas plants — and grew roughly 13% year over year across nearly every major market, with the UK up 35%, Chile up 24%, and China up 14%.

The shift reflects years of buildout rather than a reaction to the current Middle East-linked energy crisis, though Ember notes the crisis has sharpened the economics: LNG-fired power is increasingly uncompetitive against wind and solar for importing countries. Gas generation in April was essentially flat versus April 2021 (477 TWh vs 476 TWh), while wind and solar more than doubled over the same period from 245 TWh.

Spring in the Northern Hemisphere flatters the comparison — strong wind, rising sun, low heating/cooling demand — but the directional trend held through 2025, when wind and solar covered all of global electricity demand growth. Governments are responding with bigger targets: Indonesia is planning 100 GW of solar-plus-storage, and South Korea aims to triple renewables to 100 GW by 2030.