Half of our electricity comes from sustainable sources

Last year, the Netherlands generated 10% more renewable energy than the year before. This means that more than half of the electricity in the Netherlands now comes from renewable sources, according to new figures from Statistics Netherlands. These sources include the sun, wind, and biomass.

In 2024, electricity production from solar energy increased by 11%, despite less sunshine than in previous years. This was due to more solar panels being installed. Halfway through the year, most of the solar panels could be found on or near homes, with the rest on company premises.

Electricity from wind

Electricity production from wind increased by 13% in 2024 compared to the previous year. Production from onshore wind farms remained virtually the same. Offshore wind farms: an increase of 32%. Wind production generally peaks in the winter period from December to February.

Fewer fossil sources

More good news: last year, the production of electricity from fossil sources, such as coal and natural gas, decreased by 2.5 billion kWh. The main cause is the increase in the supply of cheaper electricity from solar and wind energy. Ten years ago, 83% of the energy in the Netherlands still came from fossil sources, such as coal and gas power stations.

Lower production of coal-fired power stations

The amount of electricity produced from biomass fell by 6%. This was mainly due to lower production in coal-fired power stations, where biomass is co-fired. The amount of electricity produced from coal fell by 5% last year.

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