Historic turning point in Europe: wind and solar overtake fossil fuels

The year 2025 marked a turning point for renewable energies, and all the incoming data confirms it.

For the first time, energy generated by wind and sun has overtaken the energy produced by fossil fuels, consolidating a structural change in the European continent's electricity system. According to the European Electricity Review, published by Ember, wind and solar power generated 30% of the EU's electricity, overtaking fossil fuels, which had stabilized at 29%.

The main driving force behind this overtaking was the extraordinary growth of solar power, up by more than a fifth (+20.1%) for the fourth year running. In 2025, solar generated a record 13% of the EU's energy, overtaking both coal and hydroelectricity. This expansion was evenly distributed across all EU countries, all of which recorded an increase in solar production, with peaks of over 20% in countries such as Hungary, Cyprus, Greece, Spain and the Netherlands.

Overall, renewable sources supplied almost half of the EU's electricity (48%). This result was achieved despite unusual weather conditions, which led to a 12% drop in hydroelectric production and a 2% fall in wind generation. However, wind power remained the EU's second-largest source of electricity, accounting for 17% of the total, ahead of gas. In no fewer than 14 out of the 27 Member States, wind and solar power generated more electricity than all fossil fuels combined.

Coal continues its rapid decline, reaching an all-time low of 9.2% of EU electricity production, an impressive figure considering that only ten years ago, it still provided almost a quarter of total energy. Conversely, gas-fired power generation has increased by 8% in 2025 to compensate for low hydroelectric output, although it remains on a downward trend over the long term. However, the use of gas has come at a high cost: the import bill has risen to 32 billion euros, with Italy and Germany among the countries paying the highest price.

Dependence on fossil fuels continues to fuel global instability and drive up prices. Experts stress that the priority for the EU must now be to reduce gas imports, which leave the system vulnerable to energy blackmail. One of the key solutions lies in speeding up the deployment of battery storage systems, which enable locally-generated renewable energy to be transferred to the grid. One of the key solutions lies in speeding up the deployment of battery storage systems, which enable locally-produced renewable energy to be transferred to peak consumption times, thereby stabilizing prices and reducing the use of gas in the evening.
 

(MP/©Greenme.it/Source: Ember/Translation and adaptation: The Global Nature/Pic: Unsplash)