A landmark year: Solar power generated more electricity than coal in the EU for the first time last year

Solar power accounted for 11% of electricity generation in the EU last year, surpassing coal-fired power plants for the first time in history. The share of wind power was almost unchanged year on year, at 17%. Nuclear power remained the largest source of electricity. These are the findings of the European Electricity Review 2025 report by think tank Ember.

The share of coal-fired power plants in EU electricity generation fell below 10% last year for the first time since 2011, when think tank Ember began collecting aggregate data for all EU member states. The trend of a declining share for gas-fired power plants also continued: it fell for the fifth consecutive year, reaching 16% last year.

By contrast, renewable energy sources have seen rapid growth in recent years, with solar power the fastest-growing source last year. Electricity generation from solar rose by 22% year on year to 304 TWh.

"Thanks to the growth of wind and solar power, renewables' share rose from 34% in 2019 to 47% in 2024, while fossil fuels' share fell from 39% to a historic low of 29%," Ember said.

According to think tank Ember, the growth in renewable electricity generation has had a positive impact not only on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also on the need to import fossil fuels.

Without the new solar and wind capacity installed since 2019, EU member states would have had to import an additional 92 billion m3 of natural gas and 55 million tonnes of hard coal last year. Ember estimates that the value of these additional imports would have been just under 60 billion euros.

"To maximise the benefits in the future, member states must continue to adopt reforms that accelerate wind power development, as the construction of these power plants faces challenges despite their competitiveness," the think tank added.