More New Energy Than NatGas In The EU In 2022

Wind and solar power generated more electricity in the EU last year than gas did. Here’s how

Stefan Ellerbeck, January 31, 2022 (World Economic Forum)

“European countries were forced to accelerate their renewable energy capacity after Russia's invasion of Ukraine [and the lowest levels of hydro and nuclear in at least two decades] sparked a global energy crisis…Solar and wind power generated more than a fifth (22%) of its electricity in 2022, pulling ahead of fossil gas (20%) for the first time…Coal generated just 16% of the EU’s electricity last year, an increase of just 1.5 percentage points…[But a] record surge in solar and wind power generation helped compensate…

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…[Solar grew] by a record 24% last year which almost doubled its previous record…[and wind grew] by 8.6%...20 EU countries achieved new solar records in 2022, with Germany, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands and France adding the most solar capacity…The Netherlands and Greece generated more power from solar than coal for the first time…[Electricity demand] fell by 7.9% in the last quarter of the year, despite the continent heading into winter. This was close to the 9.6% fall experienced when Europe was in lockdown in mid-2020…[It was the main factor in the 9% fall in gas and coal generation…

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…[H]ad France’s nuclear plants been operating at the same capacity as 2021, the EU’s fossil fuel generation would have fallen twice as fast in the last quarter of 2022…Gas generation was very similar compared to 2021, up just 0.8%...Ember says Europe’s use of solar and wind power will continue to accelerate in 2023 and hydropower and French nuclear capacity will also recover…” click here for more

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