Energy / World
European Electricity Review 2026
Track global energy trends, power markets, oil, gas, grid pressure and strategic resource signals through structured summaries.
Key insights
- The webinar discusses the Embers European Electricity Review 2026, focusing on the energy transition in Europe.
- Anastasia Papinandru presents the priorities of the Cyprus Presidency for the EU Energy Transition.
- Cyprus aims for an autonomous union that is open to the world, emphasizing the need for European integration amidst geopolitical tensions.
- The presidency's five pillars include autonomy through security and defense, competitiveness, and ensuring no one is left behind.
- High energy costs are identified as a barrier to European industry, necessitating a focus on affordable energy prices for both citizens and businesses.
- The vision for the presidency includes a resilient, self-sufficient, integrated energy union with citizen empowerment at its core.
Perspectives
Panel discussion on EU energy transition and electricity generation trends.
Cyprus Presidency
- Emphasizes energy autonomy through security and defense
- Advocates for boosting interconnections and energy storage
- Promotes digitalization of EU electricity grids
- Focuses on consumer empowerment in energy transition
- Commits to affordable energy prices for households and businesses
Ember Analysts
- Reports wind and solar surpassed fossil fuels in EU electricity generation
- Highlights record growth in solar energy across EU countries
- Notes fossil power, particularly coal, is declining significantly
- Indicates gas power remains a concern due to high costs and reliance
- Stresses the importance of battery storage in energy transition
Neutral / Shared
- Acknowledges the need for a coherent industrial policy at the EU level
- Recognizes the challenges in grid access and management
- Identifies the importance of flexibility in energy systems
Metrics
other
high energy costs
high energy costs hindering European industry
High energy costs are a barrier to competitiveness and growth in Europe.
the high energy costs currently are actually hindering the European industry.
other
affordable energy price
focus on ensuring affordable energy prices
Ensuring affordable energy prices is crucial for social prosperity and economic growth.
Our focus here is on ensuring an affordable and predictable price for both growth and social prosperity.
other
the greatest threat in terms of our global competitiveness
high energy costs impact global competitiveness
High energy costs could hinder EU businesses' ability to compete internationally.
High energy costs are the greatest threat in terms of our global competitiveness.
share_of_electricity
30%
percentage of EU electricity generated by wind and solar
This marks a pivotal moment in the transition to renewable energy in the EU.
in 2025, a wind and solar generated a record 30% of EU electricity
share_of_electricity
29%
percentage of EU electricity generated by fossil power
Fossil power's decline indicates a shift towards cleaner energy sources.
that was higher than fossil power at 29%
percentage_point_change
10 percentage points
increase in wind and solar's share over the past five years
This growth reflects the effectiveness of policies promoting renewable energy.
wind and solar gained 10 percentage points in terms of their share
percentage_point_change
8 percentage points
decline in fossil power's share over the past five years
This decline highlights the decreasing reliance on fossil fuels.
fossil power declined by 8 percentage point
coal_share
zero or below 5%
coal share in 19 EU countries
Indicates a significant shift away from coal power in the EU.
19 EU countries have coal share at zero or below 5%
Key entities
Timeline highlights
00:00–05:00
Cyprus aims to enhance European energy autonomy and competitiveness, addressing high energy costs to support both citizens and industry.
- The webinar discusses the Embers European Electricity Review 2026, focusing on the energy transition in Europe.
- Anastasia Papinandru presents the priorities of the Cyprus Presidency for the EU Energy Transition.
- Cyprus aims for an autonomous union that is open to the world, emphasizing the need for European integration amidst geopolitical tensions.
- The presidency's five pillars include autonomy through security and defense, competitiveness, and ensuring no one is left behind.
- High energy costs are identified as a barrier to European industry, necessitating a focus on affordable energy prices for both citizens and businesses.
- The vision for the presidency includes a resilient, self-sufficient, integrated energy union with citizen empowerment at its core.
05:00–10:00
The Cyprus presidency is advancing energy interconnections and digitalization to eliminate fossil fuel dependencies, ensuring a clean and secure energy future for Europe.
- The priority is to eliminate dependencies on fossil fuels by building robust and interconnected energy systems.
- The Cyprus presidency aims to advance the European grids package and revise the security of supply architecture.
- Digitalization and modernization of energy systems are essential for managing renewable sources and maintaining system stability.
- The focus on consumer-centric transition aims to empower European citizens to actively participate in the energy transition.
- High energy costs pose a threat to global competitiveness, prompting the Cyprus presidency to focus on an action plan for affordable energy.
- The commitment is to ensure energy policy is clean, secure, and serves as an engine for European prosperity and social cohesion.
10:00–15:00
In 2025, wind and solar surpassed fossil fuels in EU electricity generation, leading to a significant shift towards renewable energy sources.
- In 2025, wind and solar generated more electricity than all fossil fuels combined in the EU for the first time.
- Wind and solar accounted for a record 30% of EU electricity, surpassing fossil power at 29%.
- Over the past five years, wind and solar gained 10 percentage points in their share of the electricity mix, while fossil power declined by 8 percentage points.
- Wind and solar are becoming central to the electricity mix in most EU countries, with 14 countries generating more electricity from these sources than from fossil fuels by 2025.
- Solar generation increased by more than 20% for the fourth consecutive year, driven by a larger solar fleet and an exceptionally sunny year.
- Last year's increase in solar generation was equivalent to the annual output of three French nuclear power plants.
15:00–20:00
Weather fluctuations led to a drop in hydro and wind generation but significantly increased solar energy, resulting in a resilient renewable energy share in the EU.
- The weather caused a drop in hydro and wind generation but significantly boosted solar energy, maintaining a resilient overall renewable share.
- Wind generation recovered after returning to normal weather conditions, becoming the second largest source of power in the EU, surpassing gas power.
- Coal power is nearing its end in the EU, reaching historic lows, with 19 EU countries having coal shares at zero or below 5%.
- The decline in coal is attributed to policies phasing out coal power plants and its uncompetitiveness against other energy sources.
- Gas power saw an annual increase in 2025 due to lower rainfall affecting hydro output, but remains 18% below its recent peak.
- The increase in gas generation resulted in a significant cost for the EU, importing 32 billion of fossil gas, marking the first rise in gas power bills since the 2022 energy crisis.
20:00–25:00
Italy's 20% battery capacity enhances energy transition, contributing 3% to peak gas demand, indicating a shift towards renewables.
- Italy currently hosts 20% of battery capacity deployed on the ground, showing significant potential for energy transition.
- In September last year, batteries contributed to meeting 3% of peak gas demand in Italy, indicating a growing impact on the power market.
- California's battery storage success serves as a model for Italy, suggesting that Italy could achieve similar results in the near future.
- Battery storage in Germany could capture significant amounts of wasted solar and wind production, saving consumers money and reducing reliance on gas power plants.
- The energy transition in 2025 is expected to see a substantial increase in clean power from wind and solar, marking a turning point in reducing fossil fuel reliance in the EU.
- A surge in battery pipeline is anticipated to limit costly gas usage, addressing the challenges posed by lower hydro availability and rising gas prices.
25:00–30:00
The decrease in solar power plant installations necessitates a cohesive strategy for flexibility and streamlined market reforms to enhance renewable energy integration.
- There has been a record annual increase in solar generation, but installation of solar power plants has decreased compared to previous years.
- A concrete strategy on flexibility is needed to connect existing policies and improve planning for renewable energy integration.
- Member states must streamline and implement existing market design reforms and permitting rules for renewables to overcome current challenges.
- Recognition of system operators who excel in flexibility is essential to encourage progress in the energy sector.
- A battery storage action plan is necessary to address gaps in market access and the role of storage in system security.
- Harmonization of requirements across member states is crucial for improving grid connectivity and communication.