"Solar Energy Outshines Coal in EU’s Energy Mix for the First Time"

" Solar Energy Outshines Coal in EU's Energy Mix for the First Time \r\nA new report shows that the European Union just passed a major milestone in its journey toward decarbonization. For the first time, in 2024, the share of electricity generated from solar power overtook that of coal in the bloc\u2019s energy mix. Not only did solar eclipse coal in the EU, it was the single fastest growing power source in the region. This marks a serious turn in the continent\u2019s battle to phase out fossil fuels \u2013 as well as to ease its reliance on Russian energy imports.\r\n\r\nThe\u00a0 report , published this week by energy think tank Ember\u2019s annual European Electricity Review, shows that all together, renewable energies accounted for 47% of the European Union\u2019s energy mix last year, a massive 10% gain from the previous year. Meanwhile, the share of coal \u2013 the dirtiest fossil fuel \u2013 shrank to just 10%.\r\n\r\n\u201cFossil fuels are losing their grip on EU energy,\u201d said Chris Rosslowe, senior analyst and lead author of the Ember report. \u201cAt the start of the European Green Deal in 2019, few thought the EU\u2019s energy transition could be where it is today; wind and solar are pushing coal to the margins and forcing gas into structural decline,\u201d he went on to say.\r\n\r\nA large part of the solar boom comes thanks to instability in Russian energy markets. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, gas prices soared in global markets and particularly in Europe, which was largely dependent on Russian fuel imports to keep the lights on. In the years since the invasion, Western leaders have taken great pains to wean themselves off of Russian imports in the interest of economic sanctions against the Kremlin, but also to find more affordable alternatives as millions of Europeans\u00a0 plunged into energy poverty .\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n Trump Pledges Swift Reversal of Biden\u2019s Offshore Drilling Ban \r\n \r\n As a result of growing wind and solar energy capacities, the European Union has circumvented nearly\u00a0 $61 billion (\u20ac58.6 billion) worth of fossil fuel imports since 2019, according to the Ember report. \"This is sending a clear message that their energy needs are going to be met through clean power, not gas imports,\" Pieter de Pous, an analyst at European think tank E3G, was recently quoted \u00a0by DW. \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n However, the breakneck growth of solar energy is likely to slow down on a global level in 2025. Worldwide, 495 GW of solar were added in 2024. But this year, an estimated 493 GW (DC) of solar will be added. That\u2019s according to\u00a0 forecasts \u00a0from energy data and analytics firm Wood Mackenzie, who foresee a slowdown based on a changing policy environment and shifting economic factors, including rising solar module prices. \r\n\u201cPost-election uncertainty, waning incentives, power sector reforms and a shift towards less ambitious climate agendas will drive solar installations to stagnate at 493 GWdc after years of exponential growth,\u201d Sylvia Leyva Martinez, Wood Mackenzie\u2019s principal analyst for utility-scale solar in North America, was\u00a0 recently quoted \u00a0by PV Magazine.\r\n\r\nMuch of this year\u2019s solar energy installations will take place in China, where a strongly favorable policy environment and huge manufacturing base will continue to drive the industry forward. In fact, China is currently working on a solar project of epic proportions, expected to cost $48 billion USD and create 50,000 jobs. The so-called \u2018 Great Wall of Solar \u2019 would stretch over 400 kilometers through the Kubuqi Desert of Inner Mongolia.\r\n\r\nMeanwhile, in Europe, squashing that last 10% share of coal in the region\u2019s energy mix may prove more difficult than anticipated. It was\u00a0 recently publicized \u00a0that Germany, the largest coal-fired energy producer in the European Union, will likely have to keep its receive coal plants around larger than originally projected as planned gas plants run far behind and far over budget. If current trends continue, coal plants will be needed as a backup for energy security \u201cwell into the next decade.\u201d"

"Solar Energy Outshines Coal in EU’s Energy Mix for the First Time"

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