In the European Union (EU), 47% of electricity now comes from renewable sources like wind and solar, a new record according to a report from the think tank Ember. This is a far higher percentage than in other countries, including the United States and China, where about two-thirds of energy comes from fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and gas.
For the first time in 2024, solar energy surpassed coal in generating electricity across all 27 EU member states, while natural gas production of electricity fell for the fifth year running.
Climate change experts are encouraged by Europe’s continued push toward cleaner energy, especially as the new U.S. administration pushes for increased fossil fuel use.
“Fossil fuels are losing their grip on EU energy,” said Chris Rosslowe, the lead author of Ember’s ‘European Electricity Review’. “Back in 2019, at the start of the European Green Deal, few believed the energy…
