Renewable energy in the European Union

[5] In 2023, Sweden led among EU countries with 66.4% of its gross final energy consumption derived from renewable sources, followed by Finland (50.8%), Denmark (44.9%), and Latvia (43.2%).

Member States must set out the sectoral targets, the technology mix they expect to use, the trajectory they will follow and the measures and reforms they will undertake to overcome the barriers to developing renewable energy.

Whilst seven Central and Eastern European member states had already met their 2020 targets by 2016 (amongst the eleven EU wide), a small number of others are likely to attempt to slow down the transformation process.

[10][11] The key parts of the European renewable energy targets agreement set in 2014 are as proposed by a Shell lobbyist in October 2011.

The report focuses on the progress and potential of renewable energy in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, with an emphasis on the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) participants.

According to the report, renewable energy surpassed coal for the first time in 2023, accounting for 39% of electricity generation in Three Seas countries.

The updated National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) demonstrate heightened ambition, with some countries having already achieved their 2030 renewable electricity targets.

Nonetheless, the report acknowledges challenges, including inadequate progress in offshore wind targets and a lack of policy support in specific regions.

The report recommends measures such as prioritizing funding, implementing risk mitigation strategies, and enhancing cross-border infrastructure to maximize the CEE region's renewable energy potential.

This targeted investment has helped narrow the gap between the US and EU in sectors such as energy storage, the circular economy, and agricultural technology, and can be attributed to the European Green Deal and other government regulations.

[14] Underlying many of the EU's energy policy proposals is the goal to limit global temperature changes to no more than 2 °C above pre-industrial levels,[15] of which 0.8 °C has already taken place and another 0.5–0.7 °C (for total warming of 1.3-1.5 °C) is already committed.

Compared to the previous year, biomass, solar and wind changed their production by +4.8%, -3.1% and -1.7%, respectively, while weather permitting hydro power decreased by 10.3%.

[36] In January 2014, 91% of the monthly needed Portuguese electricity consumption was generated by renewable sources,[37][38] although the real figure stands at 78%, as 14% was exported.

Also in production since January 2007, the Serpa solar power plant with an installed capacity 11MW, covers an area of 60-hectare, produces enough energy for 8,000 homes and saves more than 30,000 tons a year in greenhouse gas emissions.

[46] Spain as a whole has the target of generating 30% of its electricity needs from renewable energy sources by 2010, with half of that amount coming from wind power.

Through the use of nuclear power, two autonomous communities in Spain managed to fulfill their total 2006 electricity demand free of CO2 emissions: Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha.

[49] Also the Contracting Parties of the Energy Community, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine implement the Directive 2009/28/EC since September 2012.

The targets for the share of renewable energy in Contracting Parties in 2020 are the following: Albania 38%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 40%, Kosovo* 25%, North Macedonia 28%, Moldova 17%, Montenegro 33%, Serbia 27% and Ukraine 11%.

The deadline for transposing the Directive 2009/28/EC and the adoption of the National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) was set for 1 January 2014.

This means in particular that statistical transfers of renewable energy for the purposes of target achievement will be possible independently from physical flow of electricity.

In addition, the decision lays down a number of adaptations to the rules for statistical transfers and joint support schemes between the Contracting Parties and EU Member States to ensure the original objectives of the RES Directive are preserved.

Biomass is material from plants or animals such as wheat stalks, yard waste, corn cobs, manure, wood or sewage.

In many member States, wood was the single most important source of renewable energy, such as in Latvia (29%), Finland (24%), Sweden (20%), Lithuania (17%) and Denmark (15%).

[citation needed] The earliest industrial exploitation began in 1827 with the use of geyser steam to extract boric acid from volcanic mud in Larderello, Italy.

Research from a wide variety of sources in various European countries shows that support for wind power is consistently about 80% among the general public.

[56] Installed Wind power capacity in the European Union totalled 93,957 megawatts (MW) in 2011, enough to supply 6.3% of the EU's electricity.

[58] The report highlights wind power's potential in 2020 as three times greater than Europe's expected electricity demand, rising to a factor of seven by 2030.

[65] This has generated considerable academic and commercial interest internationally for off-grid applications to produce 24 hour industrial scale power for mining sites and remote communities in Italy, other parts of Europe, Australia, Asia, North Africa and Latin America.

[67] Published in late December 2008, more than 100 experts developed the strategic research agenda (SRA),[68] which includes a deployment roadmap showing the non-technological framework conditions that will enable this ambitious goal to be reached by 2050.

[75] IRENA says economic crises and adverse policy conditions led to reduced investments in renewable energy in the EU.