Fossil power fills the gap left by the Dutch wind energy drop
The first half of the year saw a surge in the share of electricity generated with coal and natural gas.
Published on September 16, 2025
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Mauro swapped Sardinia for Eindhoven and has been an IO+ editor for 3 years. As a GREEN+ expert, he covers the energy transition with data-driven stories.
The first half of 2025 saw a surge in energy produced from fossil fuels, according to a report from the Dutch Statistics Office, CBS. The institute reports a 7% overall increase in electricity production (64 billion kWh) compared to the same period in the previous year. The figures are provisional.
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Surge in fossil-generated electricity
Although consumption remained stable, more power was generated using fossil fuels compared to 2024. Coal-generated electricity increased by 72% in the first six months of the year, resulting in 2 billion kWh more coal-produced electricity. Natural gas production also saw an identical increase in kWh.
Coal and natural gas-fired plants compensated for the lower renewable energy production, thanks to relatively lower prices for both coal and gas in the first quarter of the year. In the second quarter, CBS notes how fossil electricity didn’t rise as much as in the first three months of the year.
More sun, less wind
The rise in the use of fossil fuels is linked to a decline in the generation of energy from renewable sources. CBS reports that the share of electricity production fell by 1 billion kWh in the first half of 2025.
Much of this drop is attributed to the decline in wind-generated electricity, with 3 billion kWh less wind electricity being produced. Lower wind speeds both at sea and on land justify this reduction. The institute reports that the decline was more pronounced in onshore installations.
By contrast, solar electricity increased by 2 billion kWh compared to last year, thus partially compensating for the drop in wind energy. Furthermore, in the second quarter of 2025, solar electricity generation reached a record high (10 billion kWh), thanks to sunnier days.
48% of the Netherlands' total electricity production came from renewable sources. In the first six months of 2024, the share amounted to 53%.
CBS also highlights that exports of electricity reached their highest level on record in the first quarter of 2025, with power being mostly sent to Belgium and Germany.