Trump hates them, Europe doesn’t care: for the first time, wind turbines and solar panels produced more electricity in EU countries than fossil resources.
01/22/2026, 04:0201/22/2026, 04:02
According to an analysis, wind and solar power generated more electricity than fossil fuels in the EU for the first time last year. A good 30 percent of the EU electricity mix in 2025 will come from solar and wind energy.
Two wind turbines in front of a nuclear power plant near the German city of Halle.Image: keystone
29 percent comes from fossil fuels, according to a report by the think tank Ember. Overall, renewables – including hydropower and energy from biomass – accounted for almost half of electricity production at 47.7 percent. According to the report, 23.4 percent was generated using nuclear power.
Electricity generation from coal reached a historic low in 2025 with a share of 9.2 percent, Ember continues. However, the EU is still significantly dependent on gas: compared to 2024, last year, with a share of 16.7 percent, around 8 percent more in the electricity mix came from gas generation.
The EU has decided to ban imports of gas from Russia
In 2025, the risks of energy policy blackmail by fossil fuel exporters remained high, the authors write. “Investing in domestic renewable energy is a key strategy to reduce this risk as geopolitical developments continue to cause instability,” said Ember.
At the end of last year, the EU agreed to be completely independent of Russian natural gas by the end of 2027 at the latest. Accordingly, the import of Russian gas via pipelines based on long-term contracts should be completely stopped by November 1, 2027 at the latest. The import ban is intended to supplement existing sanctions with import restrictions and ensure that the EU states become independent of energy imports from Russia in the long term and thus less vulnerable to blackmail.
Authors warn against addictions
Ember warns against dependencies, also with regard to the USA: “A strong dependence on a single supplier endangers the security of the EU and weakens its negotiating position in geopolitical disputes and trade conflicts,” says the report.
Expanding battery storage, strengthening power grids and expanding demand management could enable a higher share of solar and wind energy in the energy mix. “This not only increases security of supply, but is also crucial for stable and reliable energy prices.” (sda/dpa)