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Eurostat data placed the share of renewables in net EU electricity production at 54.1 percent for the April-to-June period of 2026, compared with 54.3 percent in the same quarter of 2025. Within that renewable total, solar power supplied 41.6 percent, an increase from 37 percent a year earlier that reflected stronger seasonal output and added capacity. Wind accounted for 27.7 percent of renewable generation, hydropower 22.6 percent, combustible renewable fuels 7.7 percent and geothermal with other sources the remaining 0.4 percent.
The statistical office’s figures show Latvia achieved the highest renewable share at 97.7 percent of its electricity, driven mainly by hydropower and solar installations. Denmark followed with 94.3 percent, where wind power predominated, while Croatia reached 92.2 percent thanks largely to its hydro resources. By contrast, Slovakia registered the lowest share at 19.8 percent, followed by Czechia at 20.9 percent and Malta at 24.5 percent.
Eurostat noted that the indicator measures renewables in net electricity generation and differs from the share of renewables in gross final energy consumption tracked under the Renewable Energy Directive. The consumption metric divides generation by consumption and applies normalisation factors for hydro and wind, which can produce results above 100 percent in certain countries. This methodological distinction means the quarterly generation shares should not be read as direct progress markers toward directive targets.
Ember’s European Electricity Review 2026 found that wind and solar generation exceeded fossil fuel output across the EU for the first time during 2025, when the two technologies supplied 30 percent of electricity against 29 percent from coal, gas and other fossils. Solar output that year rose more than 20 percent to a record 369 terawatt-hours, lifting its annual share to 13 percent and surpassing both coal and hydro. The analysis showed 14 member states individually generated more power from wind and solar than from fossil sources in 2025.
The second-quarter emphasis on solar aligns with warmer weather patterns that boost photovoltaic performance, continuing capacity growth observed in prior years. Eurostat draws the underlying data from national reporting under dataset nrg_cb_pem, enabling consistent quarterly and annual comparisons. Related resources include the office’s statistics explained article on renewable energy and its interactive energy visualisations.
Additional context from Renewables Now coverage of the Eurostat release highlighted how the minor year-on-year decline stemmed from weather variations that tempered wind and hydro performance even as solar set new benchmarks in June. The outlet noted that solar provided a record 25 percent of EU electricity that month according to complementary Ember analysis. Such quarterly shifts illustrate the evolving composition of the EU power mix amid ongoing additions of renewable capacity.
