Wind and Solar Beat Fossil Fuels Across EU in 2025

Europe just proved that clean energy can power an entire continent better than fossil fuels.

Wind and solar generated 30% of the European Union's electricity in 2025, edging past fossil fuels at 29% for the first time ever. The historic shift shows renewables are no longer a nice addition to the power grid. They're becoming the foundation.

Solar power did most of the heavy lifting. Generation jumped 20% in 2025, marking the fourth straight year of growth above 20%. Every single EU country generated more solar power than the year before.

The results showed up in some surprising places. Hungary, Cyprus, Greece, Spain, and the Netherlands all got more than 20% of their electricity from solar alone. That's remarkable for a region many people assume is too cloudy for solar to work well.

Wind remained Europe's second-largest electricity source at 17%, generating more power than gas. Together, all renewables accounted for 48% of EU electricity in 2025.

The shift isn't just happening in green leader countries. In 14 of the EU's 27 nations, wind and solar combined generated more electricity than all fossil fuels put together. That includes major economies dealing with complex energy transitions.

Coal continued its steady decline to a historic low of 9.2% of EU electricity. A decade ago, coal supplied nearly a quarter of Europe's power. Today, 19 EU countries get either no coal power at all or less than 5%.

The Ripple Effect

This energy transformation is reshaping Europe's relationship with the rest of the world. As fossil fuel dependencies create global instability, the EU is building an electricity system that runs on homegrown sunshine and wind instead of imported gas and coal.

The shift is also unlocking new solutions. Battery storage is starting to shift renewable power to evening hours when gas plants typically fire up. As this trend grows, it could reduce gas needs and stabilize electricity prices.

Gas use is already in long-term decline, sitting 18% below its 2019 peak despite a small uptick in 2025. The trajectory is clear: Europe is building a cleaner, more stable energy future one solar panel and wind turbine at a time.

Over five years, wind and solar's share climbed from 20% to 30% while fossil fuels fell from 37% to 29%. The transformation happened faster than most experts predicted, proving that rapid change is possible when countries commit to clean energy.

Europe's clean energy milestone shows the world what's possible when renewable power gets serious support.