According to new analysis by the climate think-tank Ember, wind and solar power supplied more of the European Union’s electricity than any other power source in 2022 for the first time ever. 

Together, they provided a record one-fifth of the EU’s electricity, a larger share than gas or nuclear. This achievement was due to record additions of new wind and solar power, and this helped Europe to survive the “triple crisis” created by restrictions on Russian gas supplies, a dip in hydro caused by drought, and unexpected nuclear outages.

The power deficit created by the latter was filled with solar and wind while falling electricity demand accounted for the rest. Additionally, coal’s growth over the past year has stagnated – welcome news for those of us in the renewables industry.

In terms of concrete figures, solar generation across the continent rose by nearly a quarter in 2022, helping Europeans to avoid €10bn in gas costs. Ember’s figures show that over two-thirds of Europe marked new records in solar generation, including the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany.

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Europe is in search of its own Inflation Reduction Act moment to boost clean energy supply chains. Two of Europe’s clean energy leaders joined Episode 28 of the Factor This! podcast from Enlit Europe in Frankfurt, Germany to discuss Europe’s p