IRENA forecasts decline in clean energy capacity additions in 2026 — TimesLIVE

In Singapore, Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), said that in 2026 the world will add less clean energy capacity for the first time in five years. He cited insufficient electricity transmission grid capacity and trade barriers as the reasons, TimesLIVE reports.

Power grid constraints

According to La Camera, the key reason for the absence of a new record is the mismatch between the pace of expanding generation capacity and the ability to distribute and transmit the electricity produced. He spoke on the sidelines of Singapore International Energy Week.

Growth in solar and wind power capacity had accelerated every year since 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global supply chains. In 2025, installed clean energy capacity, including hydropower, grew by a record 692 GW, or 15.5%, to 5,149 GW. This accounted for half of global electricity generation capacity.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Slowdown in China

La Camera linked the slowdown in the pace of renewable energy deployment in China to grid constraints, due to which some clean electricity is not accepted by the grid. In the first half of 2026, China, the world's largest renewable energy producer, was unable to accept into the grid an amount of clean electricity that would have been enough for Mexico for a year.

In his assessment, capacity growth in other parts of the world this year will not offset the slowdown in China. The head of IRENA did not provide a numerical forecast for the volume of new clean energy capacity in 2026.

New renewable energy capacity is important for reducing global emissions. Last week, the UN said that urgent and substantial emissions cuts were needed to slow global warming.