EU Crosses 54% Renewable Electricity in Q2 2025, Solar Surpasses Nuclear for the First Time

In a landmark development for Europe’s energy transition, more than half of the European Union’s electricity came from renewable sources in the second quarter of 2025. According to the latest data from Eurostat, renewables accounted for 54.0% of net electricity generation, up from 52.7% in the same period of 2024.

The growth was largely driven by solar power, which produced 122,317 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in the quarter, representing 19.9% of the total generation mix. June 2025 marked a historic milestone: for the first time, solar energy emerged as the EU’s single largest source of electricity, contributing 22.0%, ahead of nuclear (21.6%), wind (15.8%), hydro (14.1%) and natural gas (13.8%).

Regional Leaders and Laggards
Among EU member states, Denmark led with 94.7% of electricity generated from renewables, followed by Latvia (93.4%), Austria (91.8%), Croatia (89.5%) and Portugal (85.6%). On the other end of the spectrum, Slovakia (19.9%), Malta (21.2%) and Czechia (22.1%) recorded the lowest renewable shares.

Year-on-Year Trends
Renewables gained ground in 15 EU countries compared to the second quarter of 2024. Luxembourg posted the strongest increase, up 13.5 percentage points, while Belgium followed with a 9.1-point rise, both largely driven by solar deployment.

Energy Mix
Within renewables, solar contributed the largest share at 36.8%, followed by wind (29.5%), hydro (26.0%), combustible renewable fuels (7.3%), and geothermal energy (0.4%).

Shaping Europe’s Energy Future
The surge in solar output highlights its growing dominance in Europe’s decarbonisation pathway. With June’s historic shift placing solar ahead of nuclear for the first time, analysts suggest the EU’s power mix is entering a new phase—where solar’s scalability and cost-competitiveness will increasingly define energy security and climate targets.