In Short : For the first time, solar energy has surpassed coal in the European Union’s energy mix. This landmark shift highlights the rapid growth of renewable energy sources and the EU’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions. The increase in solar energy generation reflects advancements in technology, government policies, and investments in clean energy infrastructure. As coal use continues to decline, solar power is emerging as a dominant and sustainable source of energy, paving the way for a greener future in Europe.
In Detail : A new report shows that the European Union just passed a major milestone in its journey toward decarbonization. For the first time, in 2024, the share of electricity generated from solar power overtook that of coal in the bloc’s energy mix. Not only did solar eclipse coal in the EU, it was the single fastest growing power source in the region. This marks a serious turn in the continent’s battle to phase out fossil fuels – as well as to ease its reliance on Russian energy imports.
The report, published this week by energy think tank Ember’s annual European Electricity Review, shows that all together, renewable energies accounted for 47% of the European Union’s energy mix last year, a massive 10% gain from the previous year. Meanwhile, the share of coal – the dirtiest fossil fuel – shrank to just 10%.
“Fossil fuels are losing their grip on EU energy,” said Chris Rosslowe, senior analyst and lead author of the Ember report. “At the start of the European Green Deal in 2019, few thought the EU’s energy transition could be where it is today; wind and solar are pushing coal to the margins and forcing gas into structural decline,” he went on to say.
A large part of the solar boom comes thanks to instability in Russian energy markets. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, gas prices soared in global markets and particularly in Europe, which was largely dependent on Russian fuel imports to keep the lights on. In the years since the invasion, Western leaders have taken great pains to wean themselves off of Russian imports in the interest of economic sanctions against the Kremlin, but also to find more affordable alternatives as millions of Europeans plunged into energy poverty.
As a result of growing wind and solar energy capacities, the European Union has circumvented nearly $61 billion (€58.6 billion) worth of fossil fuel imports since 2019, according to the Ember report. “This is sending a clear message that their energy needs are going to be met through clean power, not gas imports,” Pieter de Pous, an analyst at European think tank E3G, was recently quoted by DW.
However, the breakneck growth of solar energy is likely to slow down on a global level in 2025. Worldwide, 495 GW of solar were added in 2024. But this year, an estimated 493 GW (DC) of solar will be added. That’s according to forecasts from energy data and analytics firm Wood Mackenzie, who foresee a slowdown based on a changing policy environment and shifting economic factors, including rising solar module prices.
“Post-election uncertainty, waning incentives, power sector reforms and a shift towards less ambitious climate agendas will drive solar installations to stagnate at 493 GWdc after years of exponential growth,” Sylvia Leyva Martinez, Wood Mackenzie’s principal analyst for utility-scale solar in North America, was recently quoted by PV Magazine.
Much of this year’s solar energy installations will take place in China, where a strongly favorable policy environment and huge manufacturing base will continue to drive the industry forward. In fact, China is currently working on a solar project of epic proportions, expected to cost $48 billion USD and create 50,000 jobs. The so-called ‘Great Wall of Solar’ would stretch over 400 kilometers through the Kubuqi Desert of Inner Mongolia.
Meanwhile, in Europe, squashing that last 10% share of coal in the region’s energy mix may prove more difficult than anticipated. It was recently publicized that Germany, the largest coal-fired energy producer in the European Union, will likely have to keep its receive coal plants around larger than originally projected as planned gas plants run far behind and far over budget. If current trends continue, coal plants will be needed as a backup for energy security “well into the next decade.”
