For the first time, a renewable energy source surpasses coal: European electricity data

Article by Maria Teresa Gasbarrone – Journalist, Fanpage.it

2024 marked a historic moment for the energy transition in Europe: for the first time, electricity produced from solar power surpassed that produced from coal, the oldest energy source, but also one of the worst for the environment given its impact in terms of emissions , which represent a major source of pollution . Here, we provide an in-depth look at its effects on health .

What has been defined as a “ milestone ” in Europe’s path towards clean energy was announced by the European Electricity Review 2025 , the latest edition of the annual report by Ember, the independent research institute that investigates progress in Europe’s energy transition by analysing data on electricity production and demand across the 27 countries of the European Union.

Fewer and fewer fuels, even from imports

While energy production from renewable sources is growing, that from fossil fuels is decreasing . Specifically, coal is becoming increasingly less relevant: in more than half of EU countries, it represents a minimal share of their energy mix, less than 5% of all energy generated . This downsizing of the coal industry, combined with the continued decline in gas-based energy production , has made it possible to reduce emissions, which in 2024 were less than half the record low of 2017. In fact, over the last five years, total gas consumption in the European Union has decreased by 20%.

The report also highlights how investments in renewables have made the European Union more independent from other countries in terms of energy supply: since 2019, solar and wind energy production has saved EU countries €59 billion . This would have been the cost, the report explains, of the 92 billion cubic meters of fossil gas and 55 tons of coal that the European Union would have had to import if it had not been able to rely on its own renewables.