EU Crosses the Line: Wind and Solar Outpace Fossil Fuels for First Time

Europe has crossed a historic energy threshold. In 2025, wind and solar generated more electricity than fossil fuels for the first time across the entire European Union.

The milestone, confirmed by energy data analysts, reflects years of aggressive renewable deployment, plummeting costs, and sustained policy momentum across the 27-member bloc. It's a crossover that many predicted wouldn't arrive until the end of the decade.

When paired with other data points from the same period — Portugal hitting 80.7% renewable electricity in January 2026, and the UK securing a record 7.4 GW in its largest-ever renewables auction — the picture is unmistakable: Europe's clean energy transition has moved from aspiration to physical reality.

Key Facts

• EU wind and solar produced more electricity than fossil fuels in 2025 — a continental first (TWIB News)
• Portugal: 80.7% renewable electricity in January 2026 (APREN)
• UK secured record 7.4 GW renewable capacity in latest auction
• EU 2030 renewable target of 42.5% now appears achievable

Why This Matters

For decades, critics said continental-scale renewable energy was a pipe dream. The grid was too complex, the weather too unreliable, the costs too high. Europe has now answered all three objections with data.

The crossover isn't just about climate targets — it's about energy security. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine exposed Europe's dangerous dependence on imported fossil fuels, the rush to renewables became as much about national security as carbon reduction. The result: a continent that generates more power from its own wind and sun than from anyone else's gas and oil.

What We Don't Know Yet

Electricity is only one slice of total energy consumption. Heating and transport remain heavily dependent on fossil fuels across most of Europe. The intermittency challenge — what happens when the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine — still requires massive investment in grid-scale storage.

Some EU member states are carrying the load while others lag far behind. And the wind/solar figure doesn't include nuclear power, which provides significant baseload in France and several other nations.

Sources: TWIB News · Euronews Green
Published February 18, 2026 · Category: Environment & Climate