Solar Power Surpasses Coal in EU; Greece Among Leading Nations

Solar energy provided more power than coal did to EU countries for the first time in 2024. This unprecedented milestone shows how important renewable energy has become for the European Union. Solar power generated 11% of the EU’s electricity last year, whilst coal’s energy generation dropped below 10%.

The annual report by the energy think tank Ember shows that the EU has carried out a significant transformation in the bloc’s power sector. Senior analyst of the report, Dr. Chris Rosslowe said, “Fossil fuels are losing their grip on EU energy.”

He added, “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.”

Greece ranks second in solar share in the EU

The top three countries for solar share in 2024 in the EU were Hungary, Greece, and Spain. This means that Greece had the second-highest proportion of electricity generation coming from solar power in 2024 with 22 percent.

This indicates that Greece is one of the EU countries currently leading the energy transition efforts in the bloc, being less reliant on fossil fuels for energy in the country. For Greece, 2024 was a year in which significant strides were made in expanding its solar power infrastructure.

The country added almost 1.5 gigawatts of new solar power installations, adding an unprecedented 337 megawatts in July alone. This is a notable increase from 2023 when Greece’s total solar energy generation was 19 percent.

The trend of rising renewables and falling fossils can be seen throughout Europe

Solar is growing in every EU country and over half have either no coal power or a share below 5% in the power mix. “Fossil fuels are losing their grip on EU energy,” says Ember’s @CKRosslowe

4/7 pic.twitter.com/KFsDz5WGM8

— Ember (@ember_energy) January 23, 2025

To guarantee this energy production increase doesn’t stagnate, Greece secured a €390 million (406 million USD) loan from the European Investment Bank in July 2024. This funding will be used to build solar parks in regions like Macedonia and Thessaly, aiming to add 80 MW of renewable energy capacity.

This aligns with Greece’s government’s new National Energy and Climate plan, targeting renewable energy to constitute 82 percent of electricity in the country by 2030.

Renewable energy is on the rise all over the EU

Ember’s report stated that the EU’s solar fleet grew by 66 gigawatts in 2024. Within the bloc, countries added nearly 450,000 solar panels each day, leading to a 22 percent increase in solar power generation in the EU compared to 2023.

The report also shows that solar energy generation is growing in every EU country and more than half of the member states have no coal-generated power, or its generation share is below five percent.

NEW | Solar generates more EU electricity than coal for the first time in 2024

Renewables made up nearly HALF of the electricity mix last year, while fossil power fell to a historic low

Read more at the link in bio pic.twitter.com/BBYtWZjwOT

— Ember (@ember_energy) January 23, 2025

Additionally, the report revealed that 16 EU countries generated more than 10% of their electricity through solar power in 2024 for the first time.