Nearly three-quarters of the electricity in the European Union last year was generated without greenhouse gas emissions, according to a report by energy think tank Ember. Approximately 47% of the electricity came from renewable sources such as solar and wind energy.
Wind energy accounted for over 17%, hydropower 13%, and solar energy 11%. Solar energy, in particular, saw a surge, with nearly 22% more generated compared to 2023.
Nuclear energy contributed almost 24% to Europe’s electricity consumption, making nearly three-quarters of the EU’s power supply emission-free. Coal’s share fell below 10%, with electricity from fossil fuels playing a diminishing role.
Compared to the peak year of 2007, emissions from power plants have halved. Last year, 29% of the electricity was from coal or gas, the lowest percentage in forty years.
Coal’s share dropped by 15.7%, while gas provided 15.7% of electricity, a decrease of over 5%. Overall, electricity consumption in the EU rose by 1% last year.
Many European countries have increasingly focused on sustainable power, with over half of the Netherlands’ electricity coming from renewable sources last year. “When the European Green Deal was launched in 2019, few would have thought the energy transition in the EU would have progressed so far,” said Chris Rosslowe, the report’s lead author, to DPA.
The Green Deal aims for EU climate neutrality by 2050. However, electricity is only a small part of total energy consumption in the EU, as a significant portion of European households use gas for heating and most cars run on petrol or diesel.
Source: NOS