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Wind and Solar Provide 30% of EU Electricity, Overtaking Fossil Fuels for The First Time
In the first 6 months of 2024, wind and solar energy generated more electricity than fossil fuels in the EU for the first time ever. A new analysis from climate think tank Ember revealed that renewables accounted for 30% of EU electricity, in comparison to fossil fuels which contributed 27%. Fossil fuels have shown a decline of 17% compared to the same period in the previous year.
Chris Rosslowe, an analyst at Ember, said the rise of wind and solar was narrowing the role of fossil fuels. “We are witnessing a historic shift in the power sector, and it is happening rapidly. If member states can keep momentum up on wind and solar deployment then freedom from fossil power reliance will truly start to come into view.”
Whilst solar power has been booming, the wind industry has faced obstacles with high inflation along with continued opposition from politicians and the public. The EU installed a record 16.2GW (gigawatts) of new wind power capacity in 2023, according to the lobby group Wind Power Europe. Although this is great progress, it was only about half of what was needed that year to meet its climate targets for the end of the decade.
Despite some challenges, renewable energy milestones have been achieved across the EU. 13 Member States now generate more power from wind and solar than from fossil fuels, including Germany, Belgium, Hungary and the Netherlands. In May, Spain’s wind and solar generation surpassed 50% of its electricity generation for the first time and Poland reached a third of its electricity from these sources. Along with this, Hungary set consecutive monthly records for solar generation in April, May and June 2024.
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New statistics from the UK Government also reveal that renewable energy generated a record annual percentage of the UK’s electricity in 2023. Renewables provided 46.4% of the UK’s electricity, compared to 36.7% from fossil fuels which is a record annual low.
Wind remains the UK’s biggest source of clean power, generating a record 28.1% of our electricity in 2023 (a record 82.3 terawatt hours), beating the previous record of 24.7% (80.3TWh) in 2022. Wind provided over 60% of all renewable electricity last year.
Sources
https://renews.biz/94805/renewables-provide-466-of-uk-power-in-2023