BRUSSELS: Wind and solar power produced more electricity than fossil fuels in the European Union (EU) for the first time last year, indicating the bloc’s continued shift towards low-carbon energy despite resistance from some governments.
Wind and solar generated 30% of the EU’s electricity in 2025, just above the 29% supplied by fossil fuel power plants running on coal, gas and occasionally oil, according to data from energy think-tank Ember.
A 19% jump in solar capacity drove the record output from renewables. That growth offset reduced hydropower generation caused by drought, while gas-fired output rose 8% to help fill the shortfall, Ember said.
Solar provides more than one-fifth of electricity in countries including Hungary, Spain and the Netherlands. Europe’s electricity mix is mostly low-carbon, with renewables and nuclear power together supplying 71% of EU electricity last year, the data showed.
While sectors such as transport still rely heavily on fossil fuels, the EU has been gradually shifting to cleaner energy. — Reuters
