Wind and solar power generated a record 22.3 per cent of electricity in the European Union the previous year, surpassing gas generation of 19.9 per cent for the first time.
FREMONT, CA: According to new research, wind farms and solar panels generated more than 5 per cent of the electricity used in the EU last year, surpassing natural gas for the first time in terms of output. The analysis indicated that solar and wind produced 22 per cent of the EU’s electricity while gas generated 20 per cent over the year.
Coal, the most carbon-intense fossil fuel, was used to generate 16 per cent of European electricity last year, but this increase was short-lived, with thermal coal generation dropping significantly in the latter half of the year. Meanwhile, hydropower and nuclear generation, which generate the majority of EU electricity, have both fallen to levels not seen in 20 years. River levels fell due to dry conditions across much of the continent, reducing hydroelectric generation, while nuclear reactors were shut down—some for maintenance, others permanently.
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Solar witnessed the biggest growth in terms of renewable energy, rising by 24 per cent and producing 39 terawatt hours more electricity than the previous year. A record share of solar generation was attained by no fewer than 20 EU countries. Overall, the year saw a decrease in electricity demand, with a dip of 7.9 per cent in the last quarter of last year.
Europe is accelerating its transition to a clean, electrified economy, which will be on centre stage in 2023. Fossil fuel generation had decreased by 29 per cent just in the first two weeks of this year. The analysts found that the bloc used only a third of the 22 million tonnes of additional coal it imported as insurance against factors like nuclear reactor closures and the end of natural gas imports, which are expected to cause coal and gas use to decline even more over the course of the year. Demand reduction and much more wind and solar output can replace fossil fuels in the energy sector. It should not take a fossil-fuel crisis to acknowledge this and act appropriately.
