A study published today, Wednesday, revealed that the use of fossil fuels for power generation in the European Union decreased by 17% in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period last year.
According to the study conducted by the Energy Research Center “Ember”, five out of the 27 member states of the bloc (Portugal, Austria, Bulgaria, Estonia and Finland) recorded a decrease of more than 30%, while in 11 other countries, electricity generation from fossil fuels decreased by more than 20%.
The study attributed the change largely to higher coal and gas prices, lower demand and the expansion of renewable energy generation.
According to the study, solar energy grew by 13% in the European Union in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period last year, while wind generation increased by 4.8%. However, despite the increase in renewable energy, it has not been sufficient to replace fossil fuels.