Wind power was the EU's second-largest source of electricity last year

Rising electricity generation from renewable energy sources (RES), combined with falling electricity consumption, led to a 22% decline in electricity generation from coal- and gas-fired power plants in the EU, Norway and Switzerland. With coal-fired generation plunging by 118 TWh, wind power became the second-largest source of electricity for the first time, behind nuclear power. This is according to an analysis by the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER).

According to data published by ACER, the trend of falling electricity consumption continued last year. After dropping by 3.8% year on year in 2022, consumption fell by a further 3.4% (or 41 TWh). The only quarter in which electricity consumption increased year on year was the fourth, with a 2.1% rise.

"After low output from nuclear, wind and hydropower plants contributed to a sharp rise in electricity prices in 2021 and 2022, generation from low-emission sources increased (solar) or recovered (nuclear, hydropower and wind)," ACER said.

Almost half of electricity from renewables

ACER noted that the transition to renewable energy sources slowed in 2022 as a result of the energy crisis. The trend nevertheless reversed in 2023, with renewable electricity generation (solar, wind, hydropower and biomass) reaching a record 45% share of electricity generation in the EU, Norway and Switzerland.

A total of 1 200 TWh of electricity was generated from renewable sources, while power plants burning fossil fuels generated a combined 788 TWh.

Nuclear power plants remained by far the largest source of electricity, generating 613 TWh in the EU, Norway and Switzerland last year—10 TWh more year on year, but more than 100 TWh less than in 2021.

More than 200 GW of wind capacity

In an effort to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels, European countries added a further 43 GW of renewable capacity last year. Installed wind capacity rose from 189 GW to 205 GW, while installed solar capacity increased by as much as 29 GW to 164 GW. Total installed capacity of power plants using renewable energy sources in the EU, Norway and Switzerland therefore stood at 538 GW at the end of last year.

Installed capacity of nuclear, coal- and gas-fired power plants rose by 1 GW to 391 GW last year, thanks to new natural gas-fired plants, whose capacity additions exceeded the decline in total installed coal-fired capacity.