Last winter, almost all EU countries reduced their energy demand. Some did so voluntarily, others due to costs. According to data from the energy think tank Ember, this winter, more energy was produced from renewable sources than from fossil fuels for the first time in history.

With energy demand falling by 7%, fossil fuel production dropped by 12% compared to 2021. The volume of energy generated from coal fell by 11% and from natural gas by 13%, despite fears that EU countries might return to coal in an attempt to move away from Russian gas.

Of the 18 EU countries that still use coal for power generation, 15 reduced their coal usage last winter. Poland and Germany—the largest users of this fossil fuel—accounted for 70% of the total reduction. In Poland, the share of coal in the electricity mix fell below 2/3 of all electricity produced for the first time in history.

Meanwhile, Portugal saw the largest percentage decrease of all EU countries, as it phased out its only coal-fired power station during the winter of 2021.