Lower Clean Energy Output Boosts Europe’s Power Emissions

Lower Clean Energy Output Boosts Europe’s Power Emissions | OilPrice.com

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Breaking News:

ByTsvetana Paraskova– Apr 16, 2025, 5:30 AM CDT

Carbon emissions from Europe’s power generators jumped in the first quarter of 2025 to the highest in two years as lower wind and solar output led to an increase in natural gas and coal plant utilization.

Europe’s power producers saw their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions jump to 390 million metric tons in the first quarter, up by 23.5 million tons from a year earlier. The January-March CO2 emission levels were the highest from the European power sector for any quarter since the beginning of 2023, according to data by energy think tank Ember cited by Reuters columnist Gavin Maguire.

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Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and Poland were the biggest contributors to the emissions increase as their gas and coal generation jumped to the highest levels in years amid low wind speeds and little sunshine in the first really cold winter in Europe for three years.

The surge in emissions bucks the trend of the past two years and is due to the slump in renewable energy output this winter.

Europe has suffered the most from the lower wind speeds in the past few months, while power demand was higher in the coldest winter months.

For example, Germany saw lower-than-normal winds for several months in a row, which reduced wind power generation, boosting electricity prices and the reliance on fossil fuels. The lower wind power generation, Germany’s largest source of electricity, extended from the end of 2024 to the early months of 2025.

The German predicament, where wind speeds were below average for extended periods of time this past winter, hiked regional prices as Germany’s utilities were not only boosting gas and coal generation, but also raising electricity imports from neighboring countries.

Over the next few months, solar and wind power generation is set to recover from the lows in the first quarter. Solar radiation will be at its peak in the late spring and summer, accounting for a larger share of power generation in Europe.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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