June 4, 2026
Gas got blown away
In a first, wind and solar generated more power than gas globally in April 2026
Wind and solar just beat gas, and the comments are already fighting over what that really means
TLDR: Wind and solar generated more electricity than gas worldwide in April 2026, a first that shows cleaner power is rising fast. Commenters were excited but split between celebration, warnings that coal and gas still dominate, and a side fight over whether AI data centers are eating up the gains.
The big headline is simple: for the first time ever, wind and solar made more electricity than gas worldwide in a full month. In April 2026, they supplied 22% of global power, beating gas at 20%, according to Ember. That is a huge jump from just five years ago, when wind and solar were producing less than half as much. But in the comment section? Nobody was content to just clap politely and move on.
Some readers were in full "finally, a win!" mode, cheering this as the kind of good news the internet rarely gets. Others immediately slammed the brakes, pointing out that gas and coal have not actually disappeared, so the victory lap may be a little early. One of the biggest mini-dramas was over where all this extra power is even going: electric cars and heat pumps, or the internet’s new favorite power-hungry villain, AI data centers. Yes, even in a renewable energy celebration, AI still managed to show up and make it about itself.
The hottest takes were spicy. One commenter declared solar and better batteries a bigger revolution than AI, while another turned it geopolitical, arguing China understands the future and America doesn’t. There was also a classic internet subplot: someone asking for the best way to "sell" wind and solar to skeptics, basically admitting the culture war is still very much alive. The vibe? Hopeful, suspicious, competitive, and just a little exhausted.
Key Points
- •Ember reported that wind and solar generated 22% of global electricity in April 2026, surpassing gas at 20% for the first full month on record.
- •Wind and solar produced a record 531 TWh in April 2026, compared with 477 TWh from gas, a gap of 54 TWh.
- •The article says the milestone reflects years of renewable growth rather than a short-term response to the latest energy crisis.
- •Global wind and solar output rose an estimated 13% year over year, with increases across major markets including China, the EU, the UK, the US, Australia, Chile, and Brazil.
- •The article cites expanding government renewable plans, including Indonesia’s 100 GW solar-plus-storage plan and South Korea’s target of 100 GW of renewables by 2030.