Is the EU's electricity ‘diverse’ enough? Renewables slip year-on-year despite huge solar boom

The European Union is struggling to reduce its dependence on gas for electricity generation, despite committing to a rapid transition to clean, domestic energy sources following the conflict in Iran. According to Eurostat data, renewable energy sources accounted for 54.1% of electricity generation in the EU during the second quarter of 2026, a slight decline from 54.3% in the same period last year.

Although overall electricity generation increased by 3.2%, gas-fired generation surged by 3.9%, while renewable generation grew by only 2.8%. Notably, solar power saw significant growth, accounting for 41.6% of renewable electricity generation, up from 37% the previous year.

Power sector analyst Jonathan Bruegel of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) told Euronews Earth that the decrease underscores the need for a more diversified mix of energy sources, including hydro, wind, and solar power. This summer's intense heatwave across Europe, which led to droughts in the Alpine region, caused hydropower flow in the area to reach "near an all-time low."

In Q3, Montel energy intelligence firm reported that hydropower inflows to reservoirs and run-of-river plants in Austria and Switzerland were nearly 50% below average. Austria's production was only 51% of normal due to low rainfall, while Switzerland's production was 48% and Germany's 63%, France's 68% also suffered.

The lack of hydro power is typically compensated by a rise in solar energy. So far, solar power has saved the EU €35.4 billion in avoided gas imports since the start of the Iran war. However, despite the surge in solar power, gas generation has not been curbed, increasing by 0.1% in Q2. Bruegel noted that despite renewables surpassing 50%, gas still held a 13.3% share in the EU electricity mix.

This indicates that weak hydro and wind generation still necessitates gas, emphasizing the need for more solar power, storage, and flexibility measures.

Among EU countries, Latvia led the renewables transition with a remarkable 97.7% share (mostly hydro and solar), followed by Denmark (94.3%) and Croatia (92.2%). In contrast, Slovakia, Czechia, and Malta lagged with the lowest renewable shares: 19.8%, 20.9%, and 24.5% respectively. It's important to note that the share of renewables in net electricity production differs from the share on gross electricity consumption.