How is electricity generated in Europe?
In one way or another, Europe has always been at the forefront of the clean energy transition. With more than 1,450 terawatt-hours of renewable electricity generation in 2021, the region boasted the second largest figure globally, trailing only behind Asia. However, there is still a long road ahead. In 2022, renewable sources accounted for less than 40 percent of the European Union’s electricity generation. Although nuclear energy is the largest source of electricity in the region, with over 600 terawatt-hours produced, fossil fuels still contribute roughly the same share as renewables, with gas alone responsible for one fifth of the EU’s power output that year.Nevertheless, the electricity generation mix varies widely across the continent. In Germany, the largest electricity producer in Europe, coal still accounts for over 30 percent of the country’s gross electricity generation, followed by wind power as the second leading source. Meanwhile in runner-up France, nuclear accounted for over 60 percent of the electricity output in 2022. With France, Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, and Denmark were the countries with the largest share of clean electricity generated in the EU.
