It's official: wind and solar energy now generate more electricity than fossil fuels across the entire European Union. This historic milestone, confirmed in January 2026, marks a turning point in the global energy transition.
The Numbers Tell the Story
According to energy analysts, renewables' share of EU electricity generation has been climbing steadily for years, but 2025 was the year the lines finally crossed. Wind turbines and solar panels together produced more power than coal, gas, and oil combined across the 27-nation bloc.
Key drivers of this shift include:
- ⚡ Massive expansion of offshore wind capacity
- ☀️ Record solar installations across Southern Europe
- 📉 Declining costs making renewables cheaper than fossil alternatives
- 🏭 Accelerated coal plant closures
- 🔋 Growing battery storage capacity smoothing intermittency
What This Means for the Planet
The EU's energy sector is one of the largest sources of carbon emissions globally. Having renewables overtake fossil fuels means hundreds of millions of tonnes of CO₂ avoided — equivalent to taking tens of millions of cars off the road.
Even more encouraging: the trend is accelerating. Analysts project that by 2030, renewables could supply over 70% of EU electricity, with several member states already approaching 100% renewable grids on sunny, windy days.
A Signal to the World
While challenges remain — grid modernization, storage capacity, and industrial energy demand — this milestone proves that a large, industrialized economy can make the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy at scale.
As one energy researcher put it: "This isn't a projection or a target anymore. This is reality. The energy transition is happening."
Source: Reuters / European energy data, January 2026