Solar and Wind Beat Fossil Fuels in EU for First Time

For the first time ever, sunshine and wind powered more of Europe than fossil fuels did.

Solar and wind energy generated 30 percent of European Union electricity in 2024, edging out the 29 percent produced by coal and gas. The milestone comes after four straight years of solar power growing by one fifth annually, according to global energy think tank Ember.

Much of this revolution happened on rooftops, not in massive industrial wind farms. Homeowners across Europe installed solar panels at record rates, partly driven by energy security concerns after Russia cut off pipeline gas. Recent research shows rooftop solar alone could cover 40 percent of EU electricity needs.

When you add hydroelectric power and biomass energy to the mix, renewables powered nearly half of all EU electricity. Nuclear energy contributed another 23 percent, bringing carbon free sources to 71 percent of the grid.

The numbers reveal something even more significant than renewable growth. For 23 years, solar and wind expanded rapidly, but so did overall electricity demand. Coal and gas kept growing alongside renewables because the pie itself was getting bigger.

That pattern just ended. In 2024, renewables didn't just grow, they actively displaced fossil fuels. The electricity market stopped expanding fast enough to accommodate both, forcing coal and gas into decline.

The Ripple Effect

This European shift mirrors a global transformation. Solar and wind began stealing market share from fossil fuels worldwide in 2025, with China and India recording simultaneous drops in coal use. China saw coal fired power fall one percent, its first decrease in a decade.

The transition faces real growing pains. In Greece, solar capacity jumped 25 percent in one year, but the grid couldn't handle all that power. A quarter of generated solar electricity went unused because supply exceeded demand during peak production hours.

Industry leaders warn that storage infrastructure isn't keeping pace with solar installation rates. Without enough battery capacity, some renewable energy producers risk bankruptcy despite generating clean power.

Meanwhile, the United States moved backward. American emissions rose 2.4 percent in 2024 after two years of declines. Wind and solar generated just 17 percent of US electricity, far behind Europe's progress.

The road ahead requires matching generation capacity with storage solutions. But the fundamental breakthrough has arrived: renewables now outcompete fossil fuels on European grids, proving the clean energy transition isn't just possible but already happening.