Author: Power Peak Digest Team Pub Date: January 24, 2025
Solar power surpassed coal in the European Union’s (EU) electricity mix for the first time in 2024, according to energy think tank Ember.
Solar accounted for 11% of the EU’s electricity mix, up from 9.3% in 2023, while coal fell below 10%, the lowest since Ember began tracking in 2011.
Gas-fired power dropped to 15.7% from 16.9% in 2023. Wind power remained steady at 17.4%, though new wind capacity of 13GW in 2024 was partially offset by less favourable wind conditions. Nuclear power remained the leading energy source, growing to 23.7% from 23% the previous year.
Ember’s senior analyst, Chris Rosslowe, noted sharp declines in coal and gas over the past two years, calling fossil fuels “at a historic low” in the EU.