In 2026, low-carbon sources supply more than 71% of EU electricity consumption, while fossil fuels account for around 28%. Nuclear is the largest clean source at about 22%, followed by wind at 18%, solar at 14% and hydropower at 12%; biofuels contribute another 4%. Among fossil fuels, gas supplies about 17%, coal 9% and oil just 1%. Clean electricity therefore dominates the mix, but fossil-fuel generation remains a substantial source of climate-changing emissions and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in EU?

The EU’s electricity picture is mixed: total consumption per person remains well below its historical peak, while low-carbon generation per person has reached a new record. Electricity consumption in 2026 is about 6,050 kWh per person, roughly 820 kWh, or 12%, below the 2008 record. Without the previous year’s total, these figures cannot establish whether overall consumption is currently growing. Low-carbon generation, however, has risen to about 4,320 kWh per person, around 85 kWh above its previous record in 2025. That clean-electricity growth is encouraging, but the shortfall from peak overall consumption deserves attention as electrification and AI increase future electricity needs.

Suggestions

The EU should expand nuclear, wind and solar generation, building on technologies that already supply large amounts of clean electricity. Its own members offer highly relevant examples: nuclear supplies around two-thirds of electricity in France and Slovakia, demonstrating the substantial contribution an expanded nuclear fleet can make. Denmark gets almost 60% of its electricity from wind, while Lithuania gets about 41%, providing useful examples for further wind development. For solar, nearby North Macedonia generates about 40% of its electricity from the sun; the US states of Nevada and California also offer useful comparisons, at roughly 35% and 31%. Combining these lessons with stronger grids, electricity storage and investment in new nuclear and solar capacity would help the EU deliver more low-carbon electricity.

History

The EU’s low-carbon electricity history includes major periods of expansion alongside disappointing setbacks. Nuclear generation grew strongly during the 1980s, with annual gains of about 80 TWh in 1981 and more than 100 TWh in both 1984 and 1985, alongside substantial increases in 1983, 1986 and 1988. Hydropower later experienced sizeable declines in 2002, 2011 and 2017, followed by a roughly 48 TWh recovery in 2018. Nuclear output fell by about 60 TWh in 2009 and nearly 118 TWh in both 2020 and 2022, with a 47 TWh rebound in 2021 between those setbacks. These were deeply disappointing losses of clean electricity, underscoring the importance of sustained nuclear investment and expansion. Hydropower also fell by around 66 TWh in 2022, before recovering by 51 TWh in 2023, when wind added another 58 TWh. Solar then delivered strong gains of about 51 TWh in 2024 and 59 TWh in 2025, although hydropower declined by around 48 TWh in 2025.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade