Wind and solar overtake fossil fuels in Europe for the first time
Europe reached a new milestone in 2025, with electricity generated from wind and solar exceeding power produced from fossil fuels for the first time, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
According to the European Electricity Review 2026 by energy think tank Ember, wind and solar together supplied 30% of all electricity used across the European Union last year. Fossil fuels fell just behind at 29%. Only 5 years ago, wind and solar accounted for just 1/5 of EU power.
The shift was driven mainly by a surge in solar power. Solar panels produced a record 369 terawatt hours of electricity in 2025, around 20% more than the year before. Every EU country generated more solar power than in 2024, and in several countries including Spain, Greece, Hungary and the Netherlands, solar covered more than one fifth of total electricity use.
This progress was not limited to a few leaders. In 14 of the 27 EU countries, wind and solar together produced more electricity than all fossil fuels combined. The Netherlands and Croatia reached this point for the first time in 2025.
Europe remains heavily dependent on imported gas, which pushed electricity prices up during periods of high demand. When gas use increased last year, the EU gas import bill for power generation rose to 32 billion euros, adding pressure to household and business energy costs.
By contrast, wind and solar are produced at home and help reduce exposure to price shocks and supply risks.
The findings are based on full year electricity data for all EU countries in 2025.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that solar power covers 18% of Germany's electricity consumption.
