More than half have now either eliminated coal, the most polluting fossil fuel, or reduced its share to less than five percent of their energy mix.
“Fossil fuels are losing their grip on EU energy,” said Chris Rosslowe, lead author of the report.
“At the start of the European Green Deal in 2019, few thought the EU’s energy transition would be where it is today: wind and solar are relegating coal to the margins and pushing gas into decline.”
Battery storage
But Rosslowe cautioned much work remains.
“We need to accelerate our efforts, particularly in the wind power sector,” he said.
Europe’s electricity system will also need to increase its storage capacity to make the most of renewable energies, which are by definition intermittent, he added.
In 2024, plentiful solar energy helped drive down prices in the middle of the day, sometimes even resulting in “negative or zero price hours” due to an overabundance of supply compared to demand.
“A readily available solution is a battery co-located with a solar plant. This gives solar power producers more control over the prices they receive and helps them avoid selling for low prices in the middle of the day,” the report said.
