Renewable energy sources accounted for more than 50% of all power generation in Europe during the first half of 2024, according to the latest data from Eurelectric's electricity data platform ELDA. Nuclear energy provided a stable 24% share, while overall electricity demand remained low due to factors such as sluggish economic growth, deindustrialization, and mild weather conditions.
The ELDA data revealed that 74% of electricity produced in the EU in the first half of 2024 came from renewable and low-carbon sources, marking a notable increase from 68% in 2023. This shift was attributed to a significant influx of renewables onto the grid alongside the stable operation of nuclear power plants, noted the industry body.
“The pace of change is impressive. These figures document that the decarbonisation efforts of electricity companies are years ahead of any other sector,” commented Kristian Ruby, secretary general of Eurelectric.
Despite promising supply-side figures, electricity demand in the EU continued to decline, falling by 2.6% compared to the same period in 2022, continuing a trend observed since 2023. Factors contributing to this trend include industrial relocation, warmer temperatures, energy efficiency measures, and slow economic expansion, according to Eurelectric.
“Years of stagnation in electricity demand have now turned into a regular decline. Policymakers must urgently support the uptake of electricity to provide the necessary investment signals for clean generation,” Ruby emphasized.
Eurelectric called on the new European Commission to propose an Electrification Action Plan within its first 100 days, setting a 35% indicative target for 2030 and introducing a clear electrification indicator in national energy and climate plans (NECPs) to monitor and drive progress in electrification efforts. Failure to act, warned Eurelectric, could jeopardize EU climate goals, hinder renewable energy production, and impede investments critical for the energy transition.
ELDA, Eurelectric's industry benchmark for electricity data, collects and processes over 16 million data points annually from various independent sources, ensuring high accuracy and timeliness in reporting electricity trends.
