Solar and wind power generated more electricity than fossil fuels in the EU last year for the first time

Renewable energy sources generated 1 331 TWh of electricity in the EU last year, equivalent to 47,7% of total generation. Solar and wind power plants alone surpassed fossil fuel sources in the European Union’s electricity mix. Nuclear and hydropower maintained their stable shares, while fossil fuel sources declined.

EU wind and solar power plants generated 841 TWh of electricity in 2025, 32 TWh more than power plants burning fossil fuels. Although the difference was just one percentage point, it marks a key turning point, according to energy think tank Ember.

Wind and solar power gather pace

The two sources’ share of electricity generation has been on an upward trend for 20 years, but it grew by more than 10 percentage points in the past five years, from 19,7% in 2020 to 30,1% in 2025. This was despite wind power generation falling by 2,5% last year. Solar power plants, meanwhile, increased their output by 20% compared with 2024.

The other two main sources of clean energy, hydropower and nuclear power, remained stable or declined slightly over the past five years. The share of fossil fuel sources in electricity generation fell by 8 percentage points over the same period, from 36,7% in 2020 to 29,0% in 2025.

A country-by-country look

Renewables generated more electricity than fossil fuels in 14 of the EU’s 27 countries. The Netherlands and Croatia achieved this for the first time. Both countries recorded strong growth in renewable capacity. The Netherlands focused on solar power, increasing its capacity by 31% year on year. Croatia developed both alternatives, increasing its solar capacity by 57% and its wind capacity by 17%.

Greece, Bulgaria and Slovenia are the next contenders to cross the threshold. At the other end of the spectrum are Malta, Cyprus, Poland and the Czech Republic.

In the Czech Republic, almost half of electricity is generated from fossil fuel sources, although solar power plants were the country’s third-largest source of electricity last year. The share of solar and wind power in the electricity mix in 2024 was 6%, according to the Annual Report on the Operation of the Electricity System. For the first three quarters of 2025, the latest period available on the Energy Regulatory Office’s website, the figure was 8%.