The latest assessment from the scientific community has placed the global deployment of renewable energies at the heart of the energy and political landscape. What barely a decade ago sounded like a distant promise has become a structural shift: solar and wind power have gone from being complementary technologies to driving the growth of electricity generation in much of the world.
Science , one of the world's most influential scientific journals, has chosen the "unstoppable growth" of renewable energy as its most significant scientific breakthrough this year. This is not only due to its climate impact, but also because it marks a fundamental shift in the economics and geopolitics of energy, with direct implications for Europe and for countries like Spain, which are heavily reliant on fossil fuel imports.
From the dominance of fossils to the renewable tipping point
For more than a century, the global energy model was based on coal, oil, and gas —fuels that fueled industrialization but also accelerated global warming. The carbon dioxide emissions associated with this consumption pattern have been a major driver of the current climate crisis, a fact that scientific literature has been highlighting for decades.
In this context, data from Science and analysis centers like Ember paint a new picture: in the first half of the year, combined solar and wind power generation grew enough to cover the entire increase in global electricity demand . Furthermore, renewable energy production has already surpassed coal as the primary source of electricity globally, a milestone that had been anticipated but has arrived sooner than many international organizations predicted.
The magazine itself highlights that the modularity and rapid deployment of these technologies have allowed both large electrical systems and small-scale projects to advance at an unexpected pace. From gigantic grid-connected photovoltaic parks to self-consumption installations in industrial buildings and homes, renewables have come to occupy the entire spectrum of energy solutions.
China as the industrial and political engine of the transition
Much of this shift has one clear protagonist: China has established itself as the leading industrial power in renewable energy . As Science points out , the Asian country produces nearly 80% of the photovoltaic solar cells installed worldwide, around 70% of wind turbines , and a similar percentage of the lithium batteries used in both stationary storage and electric vehicles.
This large-scale investment has generated a virtuous cycle: enormous manufacturing volumes have reduced costs and allowed panels, wind turbines, and batteries to reach prices that are difficult for other competitors to match. As a reporter quoted by the magazine itself pointed out, Chinese-made solar panels have become one of the cheapest forms of energy ever available , which explains their rapid spread across all continents.
For China, the domestic rollout has also been massive. The expansion of solar farms across deserts and plateaus, and of gigantic wind farm complexes in coastal and inland areas, has transformed the country's energy landscape. Photovoltaic generation has increased more than twentyfold in the last decade , to the point that renewables now cover most of the increase in electricity demand, helping to curb the growth of its emissions.
This technological and productive dominance contrasts sharply with US energy policy, which, according to the Science editorial , has opted to double down on coal, oil, and gas while the rest of the world is investing heavily in clean technology. The magazine underscores the paradox: many of the innovations that have made renewable energy cheaper originated in American laboratories and companies , but it is China that is now capitalizing on the global market and the associated geopolitical power.
In this competition, Europe emerges as a strategic customer for Chinese green technology , but also as a region where efforts are underway to close the industrial gap through reindustrialization policies and its own supply chains. For Spain, heavily integrated into the European market, the issue is significant: its dependence on imported components coexists with enormous solar and wind energy potential, positioning it well to continue installing renewable capacity at a rapid pace.
Renewables on rooftops and energy sovereignty from below
The renewable energy boom is not limited to large grid-connected projects. Rooftop solar self-consumption systems have become one of the most visible aspects of this transformation, especially in Europe and many countries of the Global South. The falling price of panels and management equipment makes it possible for households, cooperatives, and small businesses to become producers of their own electricity.
Experts like Vanesa Castán Broto , Professor of Climate Urbanism, emphasize that this expansion of self-consumption represents a real step towards energy sovereignty for communities and territories . Installing panels on rooftops and small plots of land makes it possible to bring electricity and basic services to areas where the traditional grid doesn't reach reliably, or where connecting to it is too expensive.
In regions of Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, the surge in panel imports demonstrates that millions of people have found in distributed solar power a simple way to power lighting, basic cooling, or charge mobile phones. Community energy is ceasing to be an abstract concept and is becoming a reality in rural cooperatives, neighborhood projects, and local solutions that reduce dependence on expensive and inaccessible fossil fuels.
In Europe, and specifically in Spain, the combination of industrial rooftops, residential rooftops, and available land for small shared energy plants opens up a vast field for these types of initiatives. The regulatory framework—including shared self-consumption and energy communities—has begun to take off, although it still faces administrative and procedural hurdles that slow its expansion to the scale indicated by European climate and energy objectives.
Science magazine emphasizes that this technological “democratization” is not a side effect, but rather one of the pillars of progress. The ability to install modular, scalable, and increasingly affordable solutions is what allows the renewable energy revolution to not depend solely on energy giants , but also to incorporate municipalities, cooperatives, and small investors.
Climate impact: slowdown in emissions, but with nuances
Since the signing of the Paris Agreement , renewable energy sources have been gaining ground in the global energy mix. According to calculations by the International Energy Agency cited by Science , since 2015 these technologies have covered around two-thirds of the increase in electricity demand . Without them, the increase in global CO₂ emissions in recent years would have been up to three times greater.
In countries like China and India, where energy consumption has grown at a breakneck pace, the expansion of renewable energy has managed to slow the rate of increase in emissions from the electricity sector. The magazine interprets this phenomenon as a possible global turning point in the fight against global warming , a sign that the much-discussed “peak carbon” may be drawing ever closer.
Even so, several experts consulted by Science and other specialized media outlets warn that this turning point does not mean the problem is solved. The share of fossil fuels in the global energy supply still hovers around 80% of all primary energy , a figure that has barely decreased since the middle of the last decade.
Furthermore, sectors such as aviation, maritime transport, and certain branches of heavy industry remain heavily dependent on gas, oil, and coal , and still lack mature, large-scale commercial alternatives. The electrification of these end uses and the development of low-carbon synthetic fuels appear to be long-term challenges.
Although the deployment of solar and wind farms continues at a rapid pace, the construction of new coal-fired power plants as backup in some countries, as well as the inertia of already amortized fossil fuel infrastructure, maintains upward pressure on emissions, complicating the achievement of the goal of limiting warming to 1,5°C, the most ambitious target of the Paris Agreement.
Networks, storage and planning: the technical backstage of the transition
Beyond the headlines, the Science report insists that the renewable energy advance can only be consolidated if a series of structural challenges linked to the very nature of these technologies are addressed. The first of these is the adaptation of electrical grids : systems are needed that can integrate large volumes of variable generation, with bidirectional flows and millions of small, distributed producers.
The second major area is large-scale energy storage . Lithium-ion batteries, whose production is also led by China, have experienced significant price drops and performance improvements. Even so, their widespread deployment in electrical grids and isolated systems is still in its early stages compared to the volume of renewable energy already installed.
Alongside batteries, technologies such as pumped hydropower , thermal storage, and compressed air systems are poised to play a significant role. Experts consulted by the magazine suggest that combining different solutions —rather than a single miracle technology—will be what allows for the stabilization of electrical systems with high renewable energy penetration.
The third element relates to long-term planning of the energy system . Voices like that of Miguel de Simón Martín , professor of Electrical Engineering, remind us that the massive deployment of renewables is a necessary condition to address the climate crisis, but “not sufficient” if it is not accompanied by profound reforms in the operation of the system, in electricity markets, and in international coordination.
Technological innovation: new solar cells and more advanced batteries
Alongside the rapid expansion of established projects, Science is focusing on a set of technological innovations that could further accelerate the energy transition in the coming years. Among these are more efficient solar cells that combine different materials to better utilize the solar spectrum, promising to increase the amount of electricity generated per square meter.
In parallel, several research lines are working on batteries with new chemistries capable of outperforming current lithium-ion batteries in capacity, durability, safety, or cost. Systems based on sodium, enhanced lithium iron phosphate, or other alternative compositions are emerging as options to reduce the cost of stationary energy storage without compromising performance.
These technological improvements are not neutral from a geopolitical perspective. As production capabilities consolidate in certain countries, the development of new materials and manufacturing processes can reshape the industrial landscape and alter the current market concentration, especially if Europe or the United States manage to scale up their own supply chains.
Academic experts, such as Julio J. Melero , director of the ENERGAIA institute, point out that Science 's recognition of renewables reflects the level of industrial and technological maturity achieved. The question is no longer so much whether the solutions exist, but rather the speed with which they are implemented through investment, stable regulatory frameworks, and coordinated planning.
In this sense, the consensus among specialists is that clean energies have the potential to become the most practical and profitable option for a decarbonized economy, provided that investment momentum is maintained and that public policies do not generate uncertainty that hinders projects.
Hidden costs: raw materials, environmental impacts, and social conflicts
The optimistic narrative of the renewable energy revolution coexists with a more complex reality. The transition itself relies on intense demand for raw materials such as lithium and cobalt for batteries, polysilicon for photovoltaic panels, and rare earth elements used in wind turbine magnets.
As deployment scales up, so does the pressure on extraction zones and global supply chains. Various reports and organizations have documented cases of significant environmental impacts linked to lithium and cobalt mines, as well as credible allegations of forced labor in certain phases of polysilicon production for the solar industry.
In addition to the environmental impact of materials, numerous large-scale projects—offshore wind farms, solar power plants in deserts, and major power lines—have generated conflicts with local and indigenous communities . The displacement of populations, the loss of traditional livelihoods, deforestation, and the alteration of terrestrial and marine ecosystems are part of the less visible downside of the transition if it is not managed according to principles of social and environmental justice.
Cases such as the protests against wind farms in Norway, Mexico, and certain regions of India demonstrate that the rapid deployment of renewable energy infrastructure without genuine participation from the affected communities can lead to significant social resistance. Public acceptance of the transition —key to its long-term sustainability—will depend on how these tensions are addressed.
In Europe and Spain, the debate surrounding the location of large-scale fossil fuel farms, biodiversity protection, and the role of local communities has been gaining momentum. Experience in recent years suggests that an energy transition perceived as imposed or unfair risks losing social legitimacy , even among those who support abandoning fossil fuels.
Just transition: sharing benefits and power over energy
Faced with these challenges, a growing number of voices are calling for the expansion of renewable energy to be framed within a “just energy transition .” This approach is not limited to reducing emissions, but seeks to distribute the benefits and burdens of the new energy model equitably, both between countries and within each territory.
A just transition means recognizing the right of communities to decide how energy is produced, distributed, and used in their regions. It also means ensuring that renewable energy projects generate economic returns and local employment, rather than simply occupying space and transporting electricity elsewhere with little added value.
In practice, this translates into promoting initiatives such as local energy communities , revenue sharing among affected municipalities, and mechanisms for early participation in planning. Transparency in information and the inclusion of diverse voices—including those of vulnerable groups—are presented as essential for reducing conflicts.
International organizations and part of the scientific community point out that a just energy transition is not an optional luxury , but a requirement for the shift to a politically sustainable model. Otherwise, the risk is that opposition to certain projects will become widespread opposition to renewables, slowing the abandonment of fossil fuels.
Political will, legal frameworks, and social support will therefore be as crucial as cost curves or technological advances. European experience, with its intense debates on electricity market reform and the protection of vulnerable consumers, shows that the social dimension of the energy transition is already a central focus of public debate.
Europe and Spain on the global renewable energy board
Although China largely holds the leading role in industrial development, Europe maintains a key position in the transition, both from a regulatory standpoint and due to its market size. EU climate policies, from the European Green Deal to energy and climate legislation packages, have set an ambitious course for emissions reductions and renewable energy deployment.
The continent has established itself as a major destination for Asian-made photovoltaic and wind power technology, but it is also making progress in building its own production capacity to reduce the risk of over-reliance on imports. Discussions about subsidies, support for green industries, and local content requirements are part of a broader strategy to maintain competitiveness against other major powers.
In this context, Spain occupies a prominent position due to its exceptional solar resources and significant wind availability, both onshore and offshore . In recent years, the country has experienced a sharp increase in photovoltaic and wind farms, accompanied by a significant decrease in generation costs and growth in self-consumption.
At the same time, the Spanish electricity grid faces similar challenges to those described by Science : the need to strengthen infrastructure, reduce administrative bottlenecks, and accelerate the integration of storage and flexibility in demand management. The debate on the location of power plants, high-voltage lines, and the protection of rural areas remains very much alive.
The European and Spanish experience can be read, in a way, as a political and technical laboratory of the transition: a region with ambitious climate objectives, regulatory capacity and abundant renewable resources, but also with social and economic tensions that require careful consideration so that the change of model is perceived as a shared opportunity and not as an imposition from above.
This entire picture painted by the scientific community leaves a fairly clear message: the push for solar and wind power has ceased to be a side note and has become the core of the global energy transformation ; China's production leadership, Europe's regulatory commitment, and the growing demands for a just transition will determine the extent to which these technologies consolidate themselves as the most logical, accessible, and socially acceptable way to produce the energy that will sustain our economies in the coming decades.
