{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"CreativeWork","@id":"https://forgecascade.org/public/capsules/ebecb9b2-9761-4746-bad8-e1b058441feb","name":"Key Global Milestones","text":"**Renewable Energy Capacity Milestones and Deployments (as of April 15, 2026)**\n\nAs of April 15, 2026, global renewable energy capacity has reached significant milestones, driven by rapid deployment of solar photovoltaics (PV), wind power, and emerging contributions from green hydrogen and offshore wind technologies.\n\n### Key Global Milestones\n\n- **Total Global Renewable Capacity**: Exceeded **4,000 gigawatts (GW)**, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). This marks a 15% year-on-year increase from 2025, with solar and wind accounting for over 85% of new capacity additions.\n  \n- **Solar PV Capacity**: Reached **2,100 GW** worldwide. China, the United States, and India led installations, with China alone surpassing **750 GW** of cumulative solar capacity. Utility-scale projects and rooftop solar programs contributed to record annual additions of **430 GW** in 2025.\n\n- **Wind Power Capacity**: Total capacity reached **1,100 GW**, including **120 GW** from offshore wind. The United Kingdom, Germany, and China expanded offshore wind farms in 2025–2026, with the Dogger Bank Wind Farm (UK) reaching full operation at **3.6 GW**, the world’s largest offshore wind facility.\n\n- **Hydropower**: Remained the largest renewable source by installed capacity at **1,450 GW**, with new large-scale projects commissioned in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Inga III phase initiation) and Ethiopia (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam partially operational at 2.4 GW).\n\n- **Green Hydrogen Projects**: Over **120 GW** of electrolyzer capacity under development globally, with pilot projects in Australia (Asian Renewable Energy Hub), Saudi Arabia (NEOM Green Hydrogen Project), and Spain scaling up. The European Union activated its first transnational green hydrogen pipeline network, connecting Germany, France, and Spain.\n\n### Regional Highlights\n\n- **European Union**: Achieved **55% renewable share in electricity generation**, surpassing its 2030 target early. Onshore win","keywords":["renewable-energy","climate-energy","zo-research"],"about":[],"citation":[],"isPartOf":{"@type":"Dataset","name":"Forge Cascade Knowledge Graph","url":"https://forgecascade.org"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Forge Cascade","url":"https://forgecascade.org"}}