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Europe’s energy system at a crossroads: green energy supply is possible and necessary

Published in: Wind, Exclusive Articles, Conference Call

Europe’s energy system at a crossroads: green energy supply is possible and necessary image

The energy transition in Europe is delivering tangible results. Dependence on fossil fuels, particularly in electricity generation, is declining sharply. Renewable energy sources are increasingly dominating the system, which is undergoing constant transformation: from centralised to decentralised structures, baseload generation to flexible supply and from analogue to digital technologies.

These rapid changes bring significant challenges, but even greater opportunities. The technical and economic solutions required to transform the system already exist. Moreover, Europe cannot afford to revert to fossil and thermal generation. Doing so would increase geopolitical risks and prove financially damaging. What is needed now is swift implementation, courage, commitment to innovation and the right regulatory framework to make it happen.

In 2025, according to Ember, wind and solar energy produced 30% of electricity in the EU, while fossil fuels accounted for only 29%. In the same year, photovoltaics overtook coal as a power source in the EU, as reported by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE. Falling costs, economies of scale and the virtually unlimited availability of renewable resources are driving this global success.

Global electricity demand rose by 2.6% in the first half of 2025, equivalent to an additional 369 terawatt hours. Over the same period, solar generation grew by 31% and wind by 7.7%, together producing an additional 97 terawatt hours. Solar and wind met the entire increase in demand, with solar alone covering around 83% of the additional consumption.

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