Solar energy emerged as the primary source of electricity generation in the European Union (EU) in the second quarter (Q2) of 2025.
During this quarter, renewable energy sources generated 54% of the EU’s net electricity, up from 52.7% in the same period of 2024, according to EU figures.
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Solar energy played a pivotal role in the increase, producing 122,317 gigawatt hours (GWh) and contributing 19.9% of the total electricity generation mix.
In June 2025, solar energy became the leading source of electricity in the EU for the first time, accounting for 22% of total electricity generated. This exceeded nuclear energy, which contributed 21.6%, followed by wind at 15.8%, hydroelectric power at 14.1% and natural gas at 13.8%.
In the second quarter of 2025, Denmark led EU countries with the highest percentage of renewables in net electricity generation at 94.7%.
It was closely followed by Latvia at 93.4%, Austria at 91.8%, Croatia at 89.5% and Portugal at 85.6%.
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By GlobalDataSlovakia had the lowest share of renewables at 19.9%, with Malta at 21.2% and Czechia at 22.1%.
In the second quarter of 2025, 15 EU countries saw an increase in the share of renewable energy sources in their net electricity generation.
Luxembourg and Belgium experienced the most significant year-on-year growth, with increases of 13.5 percentage points and 9.1 percentage points, respectively, largely driven by the expansion of solar energy.
The majority of electricity generated from renewable sources was derived from solar power (36.8%), followed by wind energy (29.5%) and hydroelectric power (26.0%).
Combustible renewable fuels contributed 7.3%, while geothermal energy accounted for 0.4%.
