Wind and solar power have crossed a threshold that energy analysts have long anticipated.
For the first time in 2025,these two renewable energy sources generated more electricity across the European Union than fossil fuels,according to data released by energy think tank Ember.
It is a milestone that marks a turning point in the bloc's energy sector,with wind and solar now accounting for 30%of the EU's electricity generation compared to fossil fuels'29%.Nuclear energy accounts for a large portion of the remainder.
Solar output proved to be particularly high in 2025,expanding by more than 20%for the fourth consecutive year to reach 13%of the EU's total power generation.
This growth pushed solar ahead of both coal and hydro in the power mix,a development that seemed improbable even a decade ago.
"As fossil fuel dependencies feed instability on the global stage,the stakes of transitioning to clean energy are clearer than ever,"explains Beatrice Petrovich,Senior Energy Analyst at Ember and lead author of the report.
What effect will the weather have on renewables?
The shift occurred despite weather conditions that would have traditionally dampened the output of renewables.
Early 2025 brought with it exceptionally sunny skies but unusually low wind speeds and reduced rainfall,pushing hydro generation down by 12%while wind output was 2%lower than the previous year.
Solar stepped up,however,keeping the overall renewable share stable at 48%of the EU's power mix.
Wind still contributed 17%of electricity across the bloc,surpassing gas generation despite the weather.
Ember reveals that 14 EU countries now produce more electricity from wind and solar combined than from all fossil fuels,reinforcing what Beatrice describes as a structural shift in the region's power system.
The decline of coal
Coal's retreat has been particularly dramatic over the past 12 months,with the fossil fuel's share in the EU power mix fell to a record low of 9.2%in 2025.
"Coal power is in its terminal decline,"says Beatrice."We could say it's becoming history for the EU."
Gas,however,is still very much a part of the equation.
Power generation from gas rose 8%due to lower hydro availability,lifting import costs by 16%to€32bn(US$37bn)for the EU's energy sector.
This marked the first increase in gas import costs since the 2022 energy crisis,which was triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"The next priority for the EU should be to put a serious dent in reliance on expensive,imported gas,"Beatrice notes.
Coal power is in its terminal decline.We could say it's becoming history for the EU.
Beatrice Petrovich,Senior Energy Analyst at Ember
Offshore wind on the up in the UK
While the UK is no longer a part of the EU,the story has been much the same on the British Isles,where the government is moving to expand its renewable infrastructure.
The record-breaking offshore wind auctions which took place this month speak to the forward momentum of the UK.
For these auctions,the UK Government awarded subsidy contracts to eight new windfarms with a combined capacity of 8.4GW.This will be enough to power 12 million homes by decade's end.
The level of interest in the contracts was surprising.The projects,valued at a total of US$27bn,attracted twice the amount of funding ministers made available compared to previous rounds.
German utility company RWE dominated the auction,securing contracts for almost 7GW of the total capacity,including its Dogger Bank South and Norfolk Vanguard projects.
Elsewhere,Scottish energy giant SSE won approval for the first phase of its 4.1GW Berwick Bank development off Scotland's coast.
The contracts guarantee£89.49(US$121.05)per megawatt-hour for standard Scottish windfarms and£91.20(US$123.37)per MWh for those in England and Wales.
Then there were the floating windfarms,designed for deeper North Sea waters.Plans for these structures secured higher prices at£292.87 per MWh.
"We've secured a record-breaking 8.4GW of offshore wind,"Ed Miliband,the UK's Energy Secretary,said this month."This is the largest amount of offshore wind procured in any auction ever in Britain or indeed Europe."
He also added that the prices were"40%lower than the alternative cost of building and operating a new gas plant".
The success of this year's auction round has provided the UK's net zero ambitions a huge boost,though the government's target of generating 43-50GW of offshore wind by 2030 will require repeating this success at similar prices in next year's allocation round.
The future of energy storage in Europe
Aside from energy generation itself,this month has also brought positive news regarding Europe's battery storage capacity,which is a necessary enabler for the expansion of renewables and for the energy transition as a whole.
Rapid growth in storage capacity,particularly in Germany,Italy and Poland,could help shift solar and wind power to meet evening demand peaks and stabilise wholesale prices,according to Beatrice.
Average wholesale power prices rose 11%during gas-heavy hours compared to 2024,highlighting the economic pressure that fossil fuel dependence is currently exerting on the region's energy system.
