The United States significantly contributed to the rise in global carbon emissions in 2025, accounting for approximately one-third of the total increase worldwide. After nearly a decade of declining emissions, the U.S. reversed this trend largely due to shifts in its power generation mix and growing energy demand.
Higher natural gas prices prompted many U.S. power plants to revert to coal, causing a notable 10% surge in coal consumption. This shift made the country the largest single contributor to the global emissions increase, despite Europe's and China's emissions also rising, but by smaller margins. Electricity demand climbed sharply by 3%, outpacing the total energy supply growth of 1.7%, as the expansion of electric vehicles, data centers, and artificial intelligence put additional strain on the power grid.
While renewable energy sources continued to expand globally—with solar power generation growing by 30% and overall renewable generation increasing 9.1%—this growth fell short of offsetting the fuel mix returning to fossil fuels in key markets like the U.S. and Europe. Oil consumption rose globally by 1.3%, reaching 103 million barrels per day, accompanied by a production increase of 3.5%. Natural gas demand notably grew in Europe, the Middle East, and North America, supporting the continuing reliance on fossil fuels in the current energy landscape.
Data from the International Energy Agency highlighted that data centers increased electricity demand by 17%, with artificial intelligence-focused facilities experiencing even faster growth. U.S. data centers alone are projected to represent nearly half of global electricity-demand growth through 2030, reflecting the expanding digital economy’s impact on energy consumption.
The Statistical Review of World Energy, published annually by the Energy Institute since 1952, provided these insights in its 2026 edition. This report marks the review’s 75th anniversary and has been managed by the Energy Institute since 2023, succeeding bp’s stewardship. It also noted a milestone for the European Union where solar and wind power reached 30% of electricity generation for the first time, surpassing fossil fuels in the region’s energy mix.