QAZAQ GREEN.  Wind and solar power generated more electricity than fossil fuels in the European Union for the first time in 2025, according to the European Electricity Review published by energy think tank Ember.

The report shows that wind and solar accounted for a record 30% of EU electricity generation in 2025, surpassing fossil fuels at 29%. Renewables overall supplied 48% of the EU’s power.

The shift was driven primarily by rapid growth in solar energy. Solar generation rose by 20.1% in 2025, marking the fourth consecutive year of growth, and reached a record 13% share of EU electricity, exceeding both coal and hydropower. Solar output increased in every EU country. In Hungary, Cyprus, Greece, Spain and the Netherlands, solar provided more than 20% of electricity generation.

Wind remained the EU’s second-largest electricity source, accounting for 17% of generation and producing more power than gas. In 14 of the EU’s 27 member states, combined wind and solar generation exceeded total fossil fuel output.

The report highlights a clear structural shift in the EU power system. Over the past five years, the share of wind and solar rose from 20% in 2020 to 30% in 2025, while fossil fuels fell from 37% to 29%. Hydropower and nuclear generation remained broadly stable or declined slightly over the same period.

Gas generation increased by 8% in 2025 due to weaker hydropower output, but remains in long-term decline and is still 18% below its 2019 peak. Higher gas use pushed the EU power sector’s gas import bill to €32 billion in 2025, up 16% year on year, marking the first increase since the 2022 energy crisis.

Coal generation continued its sharp decline, falling to a new historic low of 9.2% in 2025. In 19 EU countries, coal now accounts for zero or less than 5% of electricity generation. Coal output also dropped to record lows in Germany and Poland, the EU’s largest coal-consuming countries.