Solar is EU’s top electricity source for first time
Baku, July 10, AZERTAC
Solar energy became the European Union’s largest single source of electricity for the first time ever in June 2025, according to new analysis from global energy think tank Ember, Energy Live News reports.
Solar generated a record 22.1% of EU electricity during the month, surpassing all other power sources.
At least 13 EU countries reported their highest-ever month for solar generation, driven by new capacity installations and consistently sunny weather.
The Netherlands led with solar accounting for 40.5% of its electricity, followed by Greece at 35.1%.
“Europe is becoming a solar powerhouse. Non-stop records are not just the result of sunny weather, but also from new solar being built every year,” said Chris Rosslowe, energy analyst at Ember.
The surge in solar output helped the EU manage increased electricity demand during a late-June heatwave.
Wind energy also performed strongly, contributing 15.8% of EU electricity in June and 16.6% in May—both record highs for those months. Favourable wind conditions across much of the continent drove the growth.
Meanwhile, coal generation in the EU hit a new monthly low, falling to just 6.1% in June, down from 8.8% in the same month last year.
This drop was largely due to the rise in renewables.
Total fossil fuel use fell to 23.6% of electricity generation, just above the all-time low of 22.9% set in May 2024.
The two main coal-generating nations in the EU also hit record lows: Germany generated only 12.4% of its electricity from coal and Poland 42.9%.
Four additional countries—Czechia (17.9%), Bulgaria (16.7%), Denmark (3.3%) and Spain (0.6%)—also set new lows. Spain is nearing full coal phase-out and Ireland closed its final coal plant on 20 June.
Ten EU countries recorded zero coal use during the month as phase-out efforts continue across the bloc.
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