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TOTAL GENERATING CAPACITY

GW · 1949–2025 · neither direction is "better" · U.S. Energy Information Administration, Monthly Energy Review
1279 GW
2025 (latest)
63 GW
1949
1279 GW
high · 2025
63 GW
low · 1949
+1918%
since 1949
50 YearsSince 200010 Years5 Years1 Year
329 GW658 GW987 GW1317 GW2000200220042006200820102012201420162018202020222024 Dot-com bust & 9/11 (2001)’01Global financial crisis (2008)’08COVID-19 pandemic (2020)’20
┊ dashed lines mark 1979 Oil shock & inflation peak · 1987 Black Monday crash · 1991 Gulf War recession · 2001 Dot-com bust & 9/11 · 2008 Global financial crisis · 2020 COVID-19 pandemic
Method & caveats. MSN ELGBPUS; publisher annual row (MER YYYY13). Original unit: Million Kilowatts. Converted only by the declared unit scale. By-source capacity begins in 1989; total capacity has earlier coverage. Breaks: By-source capacity begins in 1989; total capacity has earlier coverage.
Sources

Every value on this page is read from the publisher below. Current and historical source documents:

Data
YearTotal generating capacityChange
20251279 GW+4%
20241229 GW+3%
20231188 GW+2%
20221161 GW+1%
20211146 GW+3%
20201116 GW+2%
20191099 GW+0%
20181095 GW+1%
20171084 GW+1%
20161074 GW+1%
20151064 GW−0%
20141068 GW+1%
20131060 GW−0%
20121063 GW+1%
20111051 GW+1%
20101039 GW+1%
20091025 GW+2%
20081010 GW+2%
2007995 GW+1%
2006986 GW+1%
2005978 GW+2%
2004963 GW+2%
2003948 GW+5%
2002905 GW+7%
2001848 GW+5%
2000812 GW+3%
1999786 GW+1%
1998776 GW−0%
1997779 GW+0%
1996776 GW+1%
1995769 GW+1%
1994764 GW+1%
1993755 GW+1%
1992747 GW+1%
1991740 GW+1%
1990734 GW+2%
1989722 GW+7%
1988678 GW+1%
1987674 GW+1%
1986665 GW+1%
1985655 GW+3%
1984635 GW+2%
1983621 GW+1%
1982614 GW+3%
1981598 GW+3%
1980579 GW+2%
1979566 GW+2%
1978552 GW+3%
1977536 GW+4%
1976517 GW+5%
1975491 GW+5%
1974469 GW+7%
1973440 GW+11%
1972396 GW+8%
1971366 GW+9%
1970336 GW+9%
1969310 GW+9%
1968284 GW+6%
1967267 GW+8%
1966248 GW+5%
1965235 GW+5%
1964224 GW+7%
1963210 GW+9%
1962192 GW+7%
1961179 GW+7%
1960167 GW+7%
1959156 GW+9%
1958143 GW+9%
1957131 GW+10%
1956120 GW+5%
1955114 GW+14%
1954100 GW+7%
195393 GW+12%
195283 GW+10%
195176 GW+9%
195069 GW+9%
194963 GW
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