Wind and solar power overtook fossil fuels in Europe last year

Wind and solar surpassed fossil fuels as a source of electricity in the European Union last year for the first time, according to the think tank Ember.

A third of the power generated in the region came from wind and solar, compared with 29% from fossil fuels including coal and gas, Ember said in a report published last week. Nuclear was responsible for 20% of the bloc’s electricity.

“This milestone moment shows just how rapidly the EU is moving towards a power system backed by wind and solar,” said Beatrice Petrovich, a senior energy and climate analyst with Ember who wrote the report. “As fossil fuel dependencies feed instability on the global stage, the stakes of transitioning to clean energy are clearer than ever.”

The EU aims to have renewables make up 42.5% of its grids by the end of the decade. The target, which also includes imported power, is part of the bloc’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 55% by 2030, compared with 1990 levels, to address climate change.

Solar power generation soared more than 20% for the fourth year in a row. Together, renewable energy represented 48% of all electricity generated in the EU in 2025.

Gas generation rose 8% from the previous year, largely because of a decrease in hydropower, according to Ember. However, the fossil fuel is down 18% as a source of energy from its 2019 peak.

“The next priority for the EU should be to put a serious dent in reliance on expensive, imported gas,” Petrovich said. “Gas not only makes the EU more vulnerable to energy blackmail, it’s also driving up prices.”

Millan writes for Bloomberg.