Renewable energy in the EU has reached a milestone, surpassing coal in power generation in 2024. According to a recent analysis by the think tank Ember Energy, renewable energy sources made up nearly half of the EU’s energy mix (47%) in the past year, while the share of fossil fuels hit a historic low.
Driven by the expansion of wind and solar energy, renewable energy’s share of the energy mix has increased from 34% in 2019 to 47% in 2024, while the share of fossil fuels has dropped from 39% to a historic low of 29%. Coal, once the third-largest energy source in the EU, has now fallen to sixth place. In more than half of the EU member states, there is either no coal energy or its share of the energy mix is below 5%.
Solar energy remained the fastest-growing energy source in the EU in 2024, with a record-high capacity expansion and a 22% increase in power generation compared to 2023. Wind energy remains the second-largest energy source in the EU, ahead of gas and nuclear power.
Without the additional wind and solar capacity added since 2019, the EU would have needed to import an additional 92 billion cubic meters of fossil gas and 55 million tons of coal, according to the think tank’s calculations. This would have cost the EU an estimated 59 billion euros.
“Few would have thought in 2019, when the European Green Deal was launched, that the energy transition in the EU would be there today” said Chris Rosslowe, Senior Energy Analyst at Ember. “While the energy transition in the EU has made faster progress in the last five years than expected, further progress is not self-evident. The wind sector, in particular, is facing challenges.” Rosslowe added, however, that the achievements of the last five years should strengthen confidence in the ability to overcome the challenges and achieve a more secure energy future with continued momentum and engagement.