Renewables covered a record 61% of electricity consumption in Germany in the first three quarters

Renewable energy sources covered 60.7% of gross electricity consumption in Germany in the first three quarters of this year, according to preliminary data from ZSW and BDEW. This is a new record and an increase of four percentage points year on year. Electricity generation from renewable sources also rose by 8.7% to 237.5 TWh. Favourable conditions for wind power generation and the rapid expansion of photovoltaics made a significant contribution to the growth.

Renewable energy sources generated a total of 237.5 TWh of electricity in Germany from January to September, compared with 218.6 TWh in the same period last year. Gross electricity consumption reached 391.6 TWh, a year-on-year increase of 1.6%. Although consumption therefore rose slightly, the faster growth in renewable generation lifted its share of consumption from around 57% in the first three quarters of last year to 60.7% this year.

Wind power made the biggest contribution to the increase. Generation from onshore wind farms rose by 9.1% year on year, while output from offshore wind farms increased by as much as 19.8%. Solar power generation rose by 13.9%, driven by both the continued growth in installed capacity and favourable generation conditions.

Hydropower plants, by contrast, generated 14.3% less electricity than in the same period of 2025 due to lower rainfall. Biomass generation fell by 2.1%.

The target for 2030 is 80%

Under the law, Germany aims to raise the share of renewable energy in gross electricity consumption to at least 80% by 2030. To achieve this target, the share of renewable energy will have to continue rising significantly in the coming years.

Current developments also show that increasing renewable energy generation is not the only challenge. The expansion of electricity grids is lagging behind the construction of new wind and solar power plants, complicating their connection and integration into the power system. BDEW is therefore calling for swift approval of amendments to the Renewable Energy Sources Act and accelerated expansion of the distribution grids as planned.

According to BDEW chief executive Kerstin Andreae, clear rules for connecting new installations are also needed, as renewable energy sources, battery storage systems, heat pumps and industrial businesses are increasingly competing for limited grid capacity.