Renewable energy supplied 54.1% of electricity generated in the European Union during the second quarter of 2026, according to new Eurostat data. However, the figure was marginally lower than a year earlier, while gas-fired generation increased faster than renewable output.
The data highlight a continuing challenge for the EU’s energy transition: strong growth in solar power is not yet enough to offset weaker hydro and wind production or prevent greater use of gas when electricity demand rises.
Renewables remained the EU’s main electricity source
EU electricity generation increased by 3.2% year on year in the second quarter. Renewable generation grew by 2.8%, while gas-fired electricity production rose by 3.9%.
As a result, renewables accounted for 54.1% of electricity generated in the bloc, compared with 54.3% in the same quarter of 2025. The small decline does not reverse the wider expansion of clean power, but it shows how weather conditions and rising demand can affect the annual picture.
- Renewable share: 54.1% of EU electricity generation
- Change from Q2 2025: down from 54.3%
- Total electricity generation: up 3.2% year on year
- Renewable generation: up 2.8%
- Gas-fired generation: up 3.9%
The figures concern the share of renewables in net electricity production. That measure is different from the share of renewable energy in gross electricity consumption, which includes other forms of energy use.
Solar power expanded, but gas remained important
Solar was the strongest element of the renewable electricity mix. It represented 41.6% of renewable generation in the second quarter, compared with 37% during the same period in 2025.
Despite that increase, gas generation still accounted for 13.3% of EU electricity production. Its share was unchanged from the previous year, while output increased slightly in the second quarter.
The figures suggest that adding solar capacity alone cannot guarantee a reduction in fossil-fuel generation. Electricity systems also need dependable sources, storage, grid connections and the flexibility to respond when weather-dependent generation falls or demand rises.
Why hydropower mattered in the second quarter
Low rainfall and drought conditions affected hydropower production in parts of central Europe. Reservoir inflows and run-of-river flows in Austria and Switzerland were reported to be close to half their usual levels at the beginning of the third quarter.
July hydropower production was estimated at 51% of the normal level in Austria and 48% in Switzerland, measured against each country’s previous 15-year average. Germany recorded 63% of normal production and France 68%.
Hydropower can provide valuable low-carbon electricity, but its output is closely linked to rainfall, snowmelt and river flows. When hydro generation weakens, electricity markets may rely more heavily on gas unless other renewable sources, storage or imports can fill the gap.
Which EU countries had the highest renewable shares?
Latvia recorded the highest renewable share of electricity generation in the second quarter, at 97.7%. Hydropower and solar made up much of its renewable output.
Denmark followed with 94.3%, while Croatia recorded 92.2%. At the other end of the scale, renewable sources accounted for 19.8% of electricity generation in Slovakia, 20.9% in Czechia and 24.5% in Malta.
These differences reflect national energy resources, electricity mixes, geography and investment patterns. Countries with strong hydro, wind or solar capacity can achieve a much higher renewable share than systems that continue to rely on gas, coal or nuclear generation.
What the figures mean for EU energy policy
The Eurostat figures underline why the European Commission and national governments are focusing not only on renewable capacity but also on the wider electricity system. Solar expansion can reduce the need for imported gas, especially during periods of strong sunlight, but its output varies during the day and across seasons.
A more resilient energy system is likely to require:
- continued investment in solar and wind generation;
- modernised electricity grids and stronger cross-border interconnections;
- battery and other forms of energy storage;
- flexible demand and electricity-market management;
- hydropower and other dispatchable low-carbon resources where conditions allow.
The data also show the importance of measuring progress across several years rather than relying on a single quarter. A high renewable share can coexist with rising gas generation if total electricity demand grows faster than clean production.
What does this mean for Ireland?
Ireland is not identified separately in the supplied Eurostat figures, so the data do not establish a specific Irish result for the second quarter. However, the broader lesson is relevant to Ireland’s energy policy and electricity planning.
As renewable generation expands, weather variability and grid flexibility become increasingly important. Ireland’s position as an island electricity system also makes transmission capacity, storage, interconnection and reliable backup generation significant considerations. The EU-wide results do not determine Irish policy, but they illustrate the practical challenge of replacing fossil-fuel generation while maintaining security of supply.
Conclusion
The latest EU renewable energy data show both progress and a warning. Clean sources produced more than half of the bloc’s electricity in the second quarter of 2026, with solar making rapid gains, but gas generation rose faster than renewable output as hydro and wind conditions weakened. The central takeaway for EU energy policy is that new solar capacity must be matched by storage, stronger grids and a diversified renewable mix if the bloc is to reduce gas dependence consistently.
