EU Renewable Energy Supply Rises 3.4% in 2024, Surpasses Fossil Fuels in Electricity Generation Amid Historic Coal Decline

The European Union’s transition toward cleaner energy sources continued its upward trajectory in 2024, with preliminary data from Eurostat revealing a 3.4% increase in renewable energy supply compared to 2023. The total renewable energy supply reached approximately 11.3 million terajoules (TJ), underscoring the bloc’s accelerating shift away from fossil fuels.

In contrast, coal usage across the EU reached historic lows. Brown coal supply dropped by 10% to 199.3 million tonnes, while hard coal supply declined by 13.8% to 110.9 million tonnes—both representing the lowest levels recorded since the beginning of the EU’s energy data series.

After a sharp contraction in 2023, the EU’s natural gas supply recorded only a modest 0.3% increase in 2024, reaching 12.8 million TJ. Meanwhile, the supply of oil and petroleum products fell by 1.2% year-on-year, totaling 454 million tonnes.

According to Eurostat’s newly released statistics on energy production and imports, these figures reflect a broader rebalancing of the EU’s energy mix in line with climate targets and supply security concerns.

Renewables Lead EU Electricity Generation

Renewable energy remained the largest source of electricity production in the EU for 2024, accounting for 47.3% of total electricity generation. Renewables produced 1.31 million gigawatt-hours (GWh)—a 7.7% increase over 2023.

In comparison, electricity generation from fossil fuels dropped by 7.2%, contributing 0.81 million GWh or 29.2% of the total power output. Nuclear energy provided 0.65 million GWh, representing 23.4% of electricity generation, with a 4.8% increase over the previous year.

The data draws from several Eurostat energy datasets, including nrg_cb_sff, nrg_cb_gas, nrg_cb_oil, nrg_cb_rw, and nrg_ind_pehnf, and is part of a broader statistical release exploring trends in EU energy supply, production, and imports.

The findings come as EU member states intensify efforts to decarbonize their energy systems and meet the bloc’s climate neutrality target by 2050, with renewables taking center stage in both policy and production.