On Tuesday 30 July, the new biannual report from the think tank Ember revealed that fossil fuel-based electricity generation has continued to decline in the EU, despite rising demand. The share of wind and solar energy, meanwhile, reached 30% of the EU’s electricity production in the first half of 2024, overtaking fossil fuels for the first time.
Fossil fuels produced 17% less (-71 TWh) in the first half of 2024 compared with the same period in 2023, accounting for 27% of the EU’s electricity production (343 TWh).
Coal fell by 24% (-39 TWh) and gas by 14% (-29 TWh), even though demand rose by 0.7% after two years of decline.
Wind and solar power have more than offset the increase in demand to replace fossil fuel-based electricity generation.
With the production of 30% of the EU’s electricity in the first half of 2024, wind and solar power have overtaken fossil fuel production in 13 Member States.
Ember welcomed the EU’s swift action to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, “marking a permanent structural change”.
However, the think tank believes that to continue the EU’s transition in electricity generation, policies will need to focus on removing barriers to the integration of wind and solar power, such as grid capacity constraints, and promote well-designed incentive schemes “sustaining momentum”.
To see the report: https://aeur.eu/f/d6m (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)