Asia has reached a significant turning point in its energy landscape, with solar power generating more electricity than natural gas over the past year. This marks a clear shift in the region’s power mix as solar energy climbs to become Asia’s third-largest electricity source, surpassing gas. The surge comes amid rapid adoption of solar technologies in major markets such as China, India, and Pakistan.
Between May 2025 and April 2026, solar power production across Asia hit approximately 1,727 terawatt-hours, narrowly eclipsing natural gas generation at 1,711 terawatt-hours. This milestone reflects nearly a fourfold increase in solar electricity output since 2020, underscoring the accelerated pace of solar deployment in the region. Asia’s solar growth now accounts for around 60 percent of global expansion in this sector since 2020.
China has been the driving force behind this transformation, responsible for nearly 75 percent of Asia’s solar capacity growth over recent years. The country’s record solar capacity additions in 2025 lifted its installed base to more than 1.2 terawatts. Moreover, China’s dominance in solar panel manufacturing, controlling over 80 percent of global capacity, has enabled widespread panel exports, facilitating faster solar rollouts in neighboring Asian countries.
Conversely, natural gas has not lived up to earlier growth expectations. Its expansion has been hampered by several factors including supply disruptions, high liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices, and operational setbacks at import terminals, pipelines, and power plants. These challenges have limited gas’s ability to keep pace with the region’s growing electricity demand.
The overtaking of gas by solar power holds meaningful implications for environmental and public health outcomes. Transitioning from gas to solar can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cut air pollution linked to fossil fuel combustion. This is particularly important in densely populated Asian regions where cleaner air contributes to better health.
In a related global trend, April 2026 marked the first time that combined electricity generation from wind and solar exceeded that from natural gas in a single month. This signals broader momentum toward renewable energy’s increasing role in global electricity systems.