In 2025, the European Union crossed a landmark energy threshold: for the first time in history, wind and solar power together generated more electricity than fossil fuels.
According to data published by the energy think tank Ember and confirmed by Eurostat, wind and solar jointly accounted for 30% of EU electricity production, narrowly surpassing fossil fuels at 29%. Taken together with hydropower and biomass, all renewables supplied 47.3% of total EU electricity generation — nearly half of the bloc’s entire electricity mix.
Current Production and Consumption
Solar energy delivered a record 369 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2025, a year-on-year increase of more than 20% for the fourth consecutive year, representing 13% of total EU electricity. Wind remained the largest single renewable source, contributing approximately 17% of total EU electricity — or 37.5% of the renewable electricity sub-total — despite slightly less favorable wind conditions than the previous year. In absolute terms, total renewable generation reached 1,331 TWh in 2025. The EU’s installed solar capacity exceeded 300 GW by 2024, with approximately 64–65 GW of new photovoltaic (PV) capacity installed that year alone. Wind capacity across the EU-27 stood at 231 GW (210 GW onshore, 21 GW offshore) by end-2024.
Trends: Past, Present, and Future
The trajectory has been steep and accelerating. In 2020, renewables provided 22.1% of the EU’s gross final energy consumption — already exceeding the 20% target set under the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive. Solar generation more than doubled between 2020 and 2025, growing at an average annual rate of 21%. National targets for wind capacity have been raised by an average of 45%, and solar targets by around 70%, compared to 2019 plans. Looking ahead, the revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED III, in force since November 2023) sets a binding minimum target of 42.5% — and an aspirational target of 45% — for renewables in the overall EU energy mix by 2030. Ember estimates that wind and solar alone could supply approximately 52% of EU electricity by 2030, with total solar capacity rising to 623–672 GW and wind reaching 450 GW. However, current installation rates, if sustained, would fall short of the 425 GW of wind capacity needed to meet 2030 targets.
Barriers and How to Address Them
Despite remarkable progress, significant structural barriers persist. The most critical bottleneck is the electricity grid. A landmark 2025 report by Beyond Fossil Fuels, E3G, Ember, and IEEFA found that 1,700 GW of renewable energy projects are currently stuck in grid connection queues across 16 European countries — three times the capacity needed to meet 2030 targets. In 2024 alone, €7.2 billion worth of clean electricity was wasted across seven countries due to grid congestion, costs ultimately borne by consumers. Outdated transmission system operators (TSOs) relying on obsolete planning frameworks are a key culprit. The European Commission responded in late 2025 with a draft proposal for a centralized EU cross-border electricity infrastructure strategy, noting that €5 billion invested in grid upgrades could reduce total power system costs by €8 billion. Permitting delays, the high capital cost of offshore wind, and regulatory fragmentation across member states further slow deployment. Accelerated permitting — a provision introduced in RED III — and harmonized grid governance are among the recommended solutions.
Energy Equipment Exports
While the EU is a net importer of green energy equipment (particularly solar panels, 98% of which originate from China), it is a net exporter of wind turbines. In 2024, the EU exported wind turbines worth €2.8 billion — a 41% increase in value — compared to only €0.5 billion in imports. The United Kingdom was the largest destination for EU wind turbine exports, and the second-largest for solar panels. The EU also exports wind energy equipment to markets in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, supporting global clean energy supply chains.
Main Domestic Uses
Within the EU, solar and wind electricity power a broad range of end uses. The electricity sector itself is the primary consumer, with renewable power displacing coal and gas in grid supply. The transport sector consumed renewables at an 11.3% share of total transport energy in 2024, up from under 2% in 2005, driven by electric vehicles, rail electrification, and advanced biofuels. Industry uses solar thermal heat for low- to medium-temperature processes in the food and beverage, textiles, and dairy sectors. Buildings use solar heat for domestic hot water and space heating, while wind and solar increasingly power hydrogen electrolysis facilities. In June 2025, solar alone became the EU’s leading single source of electricity, surpassing nuclear for that month.
Fossil Fuels vs. Renewables: The Shifting Balance
The energy balance in the EU is undergoing a structural transformation. Coal — once a cornerstone fuel — has fallen to a historic low of just 9.2% of electricity production in 2025, with 19 EU member states now generating less than 5% of their electricity from coal. Gas rose slightly to 16.7% due to a weather-related drop in hydropower, pushing the EU’s gas import bill to €32 billion for the year. However, when renewables and nuclear are combined, low-carbon sources now account for approximately 71% of EU electricity. Denmark leads with 92.4% of its electricity from renewables; Austria (83.1%) and Portugal (82.9%) follow closely. The overall energy mix — encompassing heating, transport, and industry beyond electricity — shows renewables at 25.2% of final energy consumption as of 2024, with the 42.5% binding 2030 target still requiring major acceleration. The direction is clear: the EU has crossed the symbolic threshold where sun and wind outpower oil, gas, and coal combined in electricity generation — a shift analysts are calling a “major tipping point” in the clean energy era.
This Post was submitted by Climate Scorecard European Union Manager, Syaliza Mustapha.
Learn More Resources: Eurostat (EU official electricity statistics, March 2026), Ember (2025 European Electricity Review), PV Magazine (solar generation data), WindEurope (wind capacity statistics and 2025–2030 outlook), and the European Commission’s Renewable Energy Directive targets portal.