Electricity production from wind and solar sources surpassed fossil fuels for the first time in 14 of the 27 member states of the European Union (EU), and renewables provide almost half of the energy mix, according to data included in the EMBER 2026 report.
According to the document, cited by the InfoClima platform, solar energy has grown rapidly, while coal has fallen to a historic low, and natural gas remains on a downward trend. In this context, storage, batteries and grid modernization become essential.
At the European level, in 2025, coal-based electricity production fell to 257 TWh, a new historic low, below that of 2024, while, in 2015, production reached 705 TWh. Against this background, 19 member states had a share of coal below 5% in the energy mix, and Germany and Poland were the countries that concentrated over 74% of the EU’s electricity production from coal. The rest of the states accelerated the process of using this source.
At the same time, batteries have become a real competitor for gas-fired production during peak hours. “Hours of high gas demand have generated price increases for electricity. Hours of abundant wind and solar production have led to significant price decreases. Currently, batteries create economic opportunity. They store cheap energy produced during the day and deliver energy during peak hours, when previously hydropower or gas-fired plants set the marginal price,” commented Alexandru Ciocan, a specialist at the Energy Policy Group (EPG), on the sidelines of the report.
On the other hand, in 2025, the average cost of electricity from gas varied between 101 and 112 euros/MWh, at EU level.
“Hours of abundant wind and sunshine increasingly coincide with low prices. In 2025, 19 Member States recorded at least one hour in which wind and solar power exceeded 70% of hourly electricity production. In 2020, only two countries reached this threshold. In Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain, wind and solar power together provided more than 50% of electricity production in at least a third of the hours of the year. In most cases, the European energy system is interconnected, which mitigates price volatility and pressure on networks. Cross-border transmission directs energy to where demand is highest. Better connectivity and new transmission lines, including in Eastern Europe (a region that is insufficiently integrated) and the Nordic region, can further reduce the amplitude of price shocks,” explains Ciocan.
When it comes to storing renewable energy in batteries for later use during periods of high demand, last year, the capacity of high-power batteries in the EU exceeded 10 GW, compared to the 4 GW recorded in 2023, with almost half of the installed capacity concentrated in Italy and Germany.
In the case of Romania, the Ember report data shows obvious progress, but insufficient compared to the potential. Thus, solar energy is constantly growing, both in terms of production and as a share in the energy mix, but the main constraints remain the limited capacity of the networks, the slow pace of authorizations and the lack of large-scale storage solutions.
“Romania is competitive due to high solar irradiation and availability of surfaces. Investor interest remains high. A major challenge remains in the way the state manages state aid schemes. Uncertainty and frequent changes may limit the interest of private investment. The next step is integration. The expansion of solar energy must be correlated with accelerated investments in networks, batteries and demand flexibility. Without these elements, cheap energy produced at noon will not be reflected in lower prices in the evening, especially since at a national level the prosumer sector has developed rapidly, with over 1 GW installed in 2025 alone. The direction is right. The stakes are the speed of implementation. Solar energy can become a pillar of energy security and price stability, if public policies shift the emphasis from installation to efficient integration into the system. At this point, solar energy represents more of a challenge for distribution networks and suppliers,” the InfoClima article states.
On the other hand, in the EPG specialist’s view, Romania is facing an increased interest in the development of gas-fired power plants, based on available domestic resources, at which point “a policy inconsistency appears”.
“Romania continues to promote investments in this sector, but at the same time complains that, in western states, with a higher share of renewables, energy prices are significantly lower. The question of economic sustainability remains open. Gas-fired power plants will operate fewer and fewer hours, especially during peak periods. Fuel costs, emission certificates and market volatility, including a potential long-term integration of hydrogen, raise questions about the viability of these investments in the medium and long term,” Alexandru Ciocan says.