Global electricity in transition
Ember Current – May 2026 Newsletter
Living in Colombia, the second-most biodiverse country on Earth, means witnessing a land defined by its incredible wealth of solar, wind and hydro resources. Although situated within Latin America – a leading region in clean energy – Colombia still has a hill to climb. Its combined solar and wind generation stands at just 5%, trailing the regional average of 19%. The energy transition is the key to sharpening our industrial edge and improving lives, starting by guaranteeing electricity to the 6% of Colombians who still live in the dark.
On top of expanding renewable energy capacity, Colombia can also invest in its infrastructure by incentivising energy storage, strengthening power grids and advancing electrification. By shifting away from fossil fuels, we safeguard our rich ecosystems while attracting modern industries like data centres. Regional examples from Ember’s latest Global Electricity Review offer clear inspiration to Colombia. Chile reached a 25% solar share in 2025, ranking second globally, while Brazil posted the world’s fourth-largest increase in wind and solar power.
Insights, analyses and commentaries
My top picks
Latin America and the Caribbean possess an extraordinary abundance of renewable resources, including hydro, solar and wind power. Here are three of my top picks highlighting the region’s accelerating deployment of renewable generation, electrification and energy efficiency – all of which is essential to reducing fossil fuel reliance and enhancing global competitiveness.
Global Electricity Review 2026
In 2025, Brazil and Chile set global benchmarks: Brazil reached 87% renewable electricity – the highest in the G20 – with solar overtaking fossil fuels for the first time. Simultaneously, Chile achieved a 25% solar share and doubled its battery capacity to 7.6 GWh, showcasing a rapid transition to clean, resilient energy.
Unlocking the energy transition in Colombia: Strategies to reduce gas dependency
Colombia has lost its self-sufficiency in gas supply and may be unable to meet domestic demand by 2030. Electrifying cooking and water heating processes, along with increasing industrial energy efficiency, could save as much gas in ten years as the industry consumes in two (or households consume in three) – avoiding gas import costs of $2 billion USD.
Renewables point the way to Mexico’s energy security
Over 50% of Mexico’s electricity relies on imported US gas, risking energy security. Installing 46 GW of new solar and wind could boost their share to 45% by 2030, cutting gas-fired generation by 20% and reducing imports by over 384 Bcf.
There’s more!
- From OECD to emerging markets: fossil power’s global decline has begun | Read the report
- The New Twin Fossil Shock | Read the report
- Türkiye Electricity Review 2026 | Read the report
- The electric fast-track for emerging markets | Read the report
- Battery storage is now cheap enough to unleash India’s full solar potential | Read the report
Ember in the news
- Renewable energies overtook global electricity demand last year, led by solar growth in China, India | Associated Press
- Renewables have officially pushed fossil fuels into reverse for the first time | Simon Clark
- The big stories from the last year in electricity | Volts podcast
What I’m reading
Visual storytelling corner
Chart of the month
Australia and Chile are offering a glimpse of where power systems are heading next – not just building more solar, but making it work harder. What stands out in this chart is how more than half of new solar generation can already be shifted using batteries in both countries. That means solar is no longer just a midday resource, but something that can help meet evening demand too. As more countries scale up renewables, pairing them with storage like this will be essential to cut waste, improve reliability and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. The chart is particularly effective because it pairs simple headline percentages with an intuitive visual showing how solar generation can be shifted through the day, making a complex concept immediately clear.
Turning data into action
Data highlights
2025 generation data is now live in our Electricity Data Explorer
With the launch of Ember’s Global Electricity Review 2026, we also published electricity generation data for 2025 for over 100 countries and regions as well as the world. The data can now be viewed in Ember’s Electricity Data Explorer.
Coal Mine Methane Data Tracker
Track the latest coal mine methane emissions, projections, production data, and policy context by country.
Wind and solar monthly capacity installations and additions
Follow country-level progress on deploying renewables and compare between countries.
Country spotlight
China’s exports of solar products hit a record high of 68 GW in March of 2026. The energy crisis and an upcoming change to Chinese tax rebates for solar drove up demand for panels, cells and wafers. The capacity exported from China in March alone was equivalent to Spain’s entire solar capacity.
