2024: Electricity in Europe cleaner than ever before
Last year, more electricity was produced from renewable energy sources in Europe than ever before.
Published on January 3, 2025
In 2024, more electricity was generated from renewable energy sources in Europe than ever before. Especially solar and wind energy provide more green power. Prices were also much lower than the previous year. This is according to a report by Eurelectric, which looks at data from the 27 EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
In total, more than 2,700 terawatt-hours of electricity was produced in these countries last year, 48 percent of which came from renewable sources. Wind power was the largest source, followed by hydropower and solar power.
Less and less coal and gas
With the growth of renewable energy, the contribution of fossil fuels to electricity generation was lower than ever, with coal and gas accounting for only 28 percent. Also, 24 percent was generated in nuclear power plants. Thanks to greening, harmful emissions from power generation fell 59 percent compared to 1990. The EU's goal is to be climate-neutral by 2050.
Ambitious plans in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, too, more than half of electricity came from renewable sources by 2024. The Netherlands is also forging ambitious plans for the future. For example, the Netherlands recently finalized plans for two impressive new offshore wind farms: IJmuiden Ver Alpha and IJmuiden Ver Beta. Both parks will each produce at least two gigawatts of energy. They are expected to be operational by 2029. Together, these wind farms account for about 14% of the Netherlands' total current electricity consumption.
New mega offshore wind farms near IJmuiden account for 14 percent of Dutch energy demand
The two wind farms will produce renewable electricity, each with a capacity of at least two gigawatts. The wind farms are expected to be producing energy in 2029.