Renewables overtook fossil fuels as EU’s main power source in 2020
Renewables generated 38% of the EU’s electricity in 2020, overtaking coal and gas to become the main source of electricity for the first time ever in Europe, according to fresh data released on Monday (25 January)
The share of fossil fuels in the electricity mix fell to 37% while the remaining 25% was made up by nuclear power, according to the study published today by think tanks Ember and Agora Energiewende.
Both wind and solar generation increased capacity in 2020, producing 14% and 5% of the EU’s electricity respectively. Together, they generated a fifth of the EU’s electricity.
The remaining share of renewables (19%) was supplied mainly by hydropower and bioenergy. However, these have remained stable over the years and have mostly stopped growing.
