Renewables provided a record high of 44% of electricity in the European Union 2023, surpassing the 40% mark for the first time, according to Ember’s European Electricity Review 2024,
Growth was driven by wind and solar, which produced a record 27% of EU electricity last year, up from 23% in 2022.
Wind and solar generation together increased by a record 90 TWh and their installed capacity expanded by 73 GW.
In 2023, more solar was added than in 2022 – 56 GW compared to 41 GW, but the year-on-year generation growth of 36 TWh was below the 48 TWh spike observed in 2022.
Wind power, meanwhile, achieved a milestone by surpassing gas for the first time as it grew by a record 55 TWh from 2022 levels.
Ember also said that fossil generation dropped by 19%, or 209 TWh, in 2023, and for the first time represented less than a third of the EU’s electricity mix. EU power sector emissions also fell by 19%.
It noted that the decline in fossil fuel generation was aided by falling electricity demand, but added the latter is unlikely to continue as electrification increases.
