Europe achieved a new record in clean electricity production in early 2024

Europe achieved a new milestone in clean electricity production in the early months of 2024, with renewable energy sources contributing to 60% of the region's electricity, as reported by the climate think tank Ember.

Compared to the same period in 2023, clean power generation witnessed a significant 12% increase, totaling 516.5 terawatt-hours (TWh) in January and February 2024.

Conversely, fossil fuel generation experienced a notable decline, dropping from 46.53% to 39.31% of European power generation since February 2023. This shift resulted in 160.66TWh of electricity from fossil fuels in February 2024, compared to 248.08TWh from clean energy sources.

The rise of wind power in 2023 played a pivotal role in this transition, surpassing gas production for the first time in Europe. Wind farms generated 137.5TWh of electricity in January and February 2024, marking a new record and a 14% increase from the same period in 2023.

Furthermore, nuclear power output during the first two months of 2024 saw a noticeable uptick compared to the corresponding period in 2023. Despite this increase, the percentage of nuclear energy in Europe's electricity mix remained relatively consistent, at approximately 19.5%.

Sarah Brown, Ember's Europe programme director, expressed optimism regarding the future of clean energy in Europe during the launch of Ember's European Electricity Review 2024 last month. She highlighted the monumental shift in the EU's power sector, with fossil fuels playing a diminishing role and wind and solar emerging as the backbone of the energy system. Brown emphasized the need for continued efforts to rapidly deploy wind, solar, and flexibility technologies to achieve a fossil fuel-free energy system, urging against complacency in the face of ongoing challenges.