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Maguire: Fossil fuels are still a major source of energy in the EU, even though clean energy production is declining.

Utilities in the European Union increased output of natural gas- and coalfired power stations during the first half of 2025. This increased power sector emissions, and reversed recent momentum on energy transition.

The increase in fossil production comes after two years of sharp declines in fossil usage within the EU. This established Europe as a leader in global efforts to reduce reliance on polluting fossil fuels for power production.

During January-June, however, the EU utilities were deprived of their main sources of clean energy due to the year-on-year decline in wind farm and hydro dam output. They had to compensate by increasing production from fossil fuel power plants.

The sudden reversal of fossil fuel usage in the EU highlights how even modern energy systems are challenged when weather patterns prevent clean power supplies. It also suggests that fossil fuels could remain a part of global power systems for many years to come.

CLIMATE CHANGES

EU utilities produced 13% more electricity using fossil fuels from January to June than they did in the same period of 2024. This was the biggest annual increase for this period since 2017.

The gas-fired production rose 19%, the most in three years. Coal-fired production increased by 2% and reached two-year-highs.

If the EU maintains its current burning pace, the EU's CO2 emissions could reach 600 million tons this year.

Since late 2024, the main factors that have contributed to the increase in fossil fuel consumption are steep drops in clean energy supplies and weather conditions throughout Europe.

The output from wind farms, which will account for almost 20% of EU electricity supply during the first half 2024, has experienced the biggest year-over-year drop in history between January and June. It dropped by 9%, to 225 Terawatt Hours (TWh).

Wind power production was hampered by low wind speeds, especially in Germany where over 30% of EU capacity is located.

In Europe, the lack of snow and rain over the winter resulted in an annual drop of 15% in the electricity produced by hydro dams. These dams accounted for 15% or so of the EU's electricity supply last year.

The approximately 164 TWh hydroelectric output from January to June was about 28 TWh lower than the same period in 2024 and the lowest for two years.

SOLAR SHINES, BUT NOT ENOUGH

Solar power in the EU has increased by 21%, or 32 TWh. This helped to cushion utilities against the decline in wind and hydro electricity generation.

The 179 TWh electricity produced by EU solar farms in the first half 2025 was an all-time record. It marked the first instance that EU solar farms had produced more electricity during the window from January to June than hydro dams of the region.

Solar-powered electricity will reach new heights in the next few months as the installed capacity of solar panels continues to increase. Clean energy advocates across the EU can celebrate this.

The deep and persistent drops in wind and hydro output is also a cause for concern. This is especially true as climate trends suggest that weather patterns will continue to deviate from the average.

The steadily rising temperatures in Europe are leading to a steady decline in snow cover at low altitudes, and are pinching the regional hydro dam production - even though hydro dam capacity reached a record in the EU last year.

Climate change triggers more intense storms, but it also causes more wind droughts. This is because the temperature difference between tropical and polar areas is narrowing.

The Global Stilling phenomenon is a major concern for energy planners, who had been counting on large-scale wind farms to play a reliable role in the generation of clean electricity over the next decades.

Even if solar energy continues to grow, EU energy providers will still struggle to meet demand if wind speeds continue to slow down for months at a time and if hydro networks receive only a small amount of snow and rain during winter.

This means that despite long-term plans to transition power systems away from fossil fuels, coal and natural gas will remain essential tools for EU utilities in the near future.

These are the opinions of the columnist, an author for.

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(source: Reuters)