In Germany, Wind and Solar Overtake Fossil Power - Yale E360
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E360 Digest
July 28, 2026
In Germany, Wind and Solar Overtake Fossil Power
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In a first, Germany drew more power from wind and solar than from fossil fuels last year.<br>Together, wind and solar generated 44 percent of Germany’s electricity, while fossil fuels generated roughly 43 percent, according to data from the Energy Institute, a think tank based in London. The figures represent a major milestone for the German “Energiewende,” or “energy turnaround,” a national push to ramp up renewable energy and phase out gas, coal, and nuclear power.<br>Germany shut down its last remaining nuclear power plants in 2023. It is aiming to wean off of coal power by 2038, though experts say it will likely achieve that goal much sooner. By 2045, its target date for net zero emissions, Germany plans to convert any remaining gas-fired power plants to green hydrogen.<br>Aiding the buildout of wind and solar is an effort to simplify permitting for renewable energy projects. German officials have digitized permitting, streamlined approvals, and declared clean energy to be of “overriding public interest,” a designation that lends projects protection from legal challenges.<br>Germany has the third largest economy in the world, after the U.S. and China, and the largest economy in Europe. Its embrace of renewable energy has helped push the E.U. toward cleaner power. Last year, for the first time, the bloc saw wind and solar overtake fossil fuels, according to data from energy think tank Ember. Wind and solar generated 30 percent of E.U. power in 2025, while fossil fuels generated 29 percent, and nuclear and hydropower supplied most of the rest.<br>ALSO ON YALE E360<br>A First Among Major Nations, India Is Industrializing With Solar
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